


A Perfect Reason

by Chelsea Frew (chelseafrew)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry, Non-Famous Harry, Prince Louis, Romance, natural birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 22:44:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16050083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseafrew/pseuds/Chelsea%20Frew
Summary: During a visit to a charity he'd like to support, Prince Louis--next in line to the throne of the United Kingdom--meets Harry, the man of his dreams. Trouble is, Louis is not out, and the law says his heirs can only be born of a woman. Louis is determined not to let that stop his pursuit of Harry. His determination doubles when Harry accidentally becomes pregnant. He and Harry will have their little family--and change the monarchy while they're at it.





	A Perfect Reason

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Thingssicant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thingssicant/gifts).



> I was very excited to get this prompt, as I had been thinking about writing a Royal AU anyhow. This challenge assignment was the perfect excuse. It ballooned a bit as I wrote, but I had to tell the story, right?
> 
> My deepest thanks to thingssicant for the prompt, and to my BFF CL, who not only beta read this in record time, but also helped me world build. This story would never have been finished without her help.
> 
>  **Edited to add:** I did not invent the entire idea of Harry's charity. The idea stemmed from [Fill My Basket](https://fillmybasket.org/). Check them out!
> 
> Finally, thanks to the mods for organizing the challenge. Even with our small numbers, we're contributing to the overall number of MPREG fics out there--and there can never be too many.
> 
> On to the fic....

"So, what's on the schedule today?" Louis asked Liam as they sat down for a quick breakfast.

"A charity visit," his assistant replied, his cup of tea in one hand and his mobile phone in the other.

Louis poured sugar into his own tea, stirring absently. "Right." Louis vaguely remembered Liam mentioning this the previous day.

"Treat People With Kindness," Liam said.

That rang a bell. "The one that pays for groceries for others?"

Liam nodded, trading his cup of tea for a piece of toast. "They have also established a food bank and what they call The Clothes Closet, which provides new and gently used clothing to those in need."

Louis remembered it vividly now. He'd seen a story on YouTube about this group that paid for strangers' groceries. The people who had received this gift had been incredibly grateful--and the story had made Louis cry.

"After that," Liam went on, oblivious to Louis' inner thought processes, "it's lunch with Her Majesty the Queen, then an afternoon visit to a theatre company that received a grant from your father's foundation."

"Excellent." Louis forced himself back to the present and the eggs and bacon in front of him.

As soon as he and Liam were done eating, Louis slipped into his suit jacket, and he and his assistant headed out to the car that was waiting to drive them to the charity's headquarters.

Two bodyguards were waiting when they arrived at the central London storefront, and they gave the all clear for Louis to enter.

The charity was located in a corner store that had clearly been converted to house the not-for-profit organisation. In the front part of the space were tables and desks topped with phones and computers, while the back part of the space looked like where they stored the donations they collected.

There were six people there to greet Louis. He met with the charity's staffers, then there was a young blond man who introduced himself as Niall Horan in a lilting Irish accent. He explained that he was one of the co-founders of the charity.

The minute Louis' gaze landed upon the other co-founder, he had the sneaking suspicion that his life had just undergone a seismic shift.

* * *

"You have to breathe." Niall's voice sounded like it was coming from far away. Harry found it hard to focus on that far away voice when his head was in between his knees, but he did his level best anyhow.

"C'mon, Haz, you can do it," Niall encouraged, rubbing Harry's upper back gently. "Breathe deep with me."

Harry could hear Niall taking in an exaggeratedly loud deep breath. Harry tried to follow directions. His breath was ragged, but it was a breath nonetheless.

"That's good," Niall praised. "Now another."

Harry did as directed, and by the time he was pulling in a third deep breath, he was able to lift his head.

"There he is!" Niall cheered.

After hauling in one more deep breath, Harry gazed up at Niall. "Thanks, Ni."

"What on Earth was that?" Niall asked.

It was at that moment that Harry realised most of the rest of his staff was looking at him worriedly. Fire crawled up his cheeks as he reassured Niall and all the onlookers, "I was just having a moment."

"You've known about this for two weeks now," Niall chastised, though he kept his tone light. "Did you only just now click on who His Royal Highness Prince Louis is?"

With a sigh, Harry offered a sheepish smile. "I think it just hit me that he's actually coming."

"In forty-five minutes," one of his staffers, Sarah, pointed out. "He's coming in forty-five minutes."

Harry nodded decisively and stood up. Time to show his staff he was in control. "Right. Let's figure out what still needs to be done."

The next half-hour or so was spent making sure all the donation areas were clean and organised, ensuring that their brochures were handy in case Prince Louis or his staff wanted some, and just generally reminding everyone of their talking points.

Prince Louis' assistant, Liam Payne, had called the offices of Treat People With Kindness about a month earlier. The prince had seen a video online and was interested in learning more about the charity. Harry had sent the assistant an e-mail with links and had also sent some paper literature in the post. Two weeks later, Liam had called back to say that the prince was interested in becoming a patron of Kindness, and could they accommodate him for a visit.

Today was the big day. Not only would Harry be getting to meet someone he had admired just about as long as he'd been alive, but this would be wonderful for the charity, getting the word out to many people who might otherwise have never heard about their work.

About fifteen minutes before the prince himself was due, his security showed up. Niall took charge of showing the burly men around so they could check to make sure the prince would be in no danger during his time at the charity. Niall must have assuaged any concerns they had, since the security team called to the prince's driver to say they were all set.

The prince's security got Niall and Harry's staff to line up. The staffers went first, second to last would be Niall, then Harry. Harry would have plenty of time to compose himself before he had to speak to Prince Louis.

At exactly the appointed hour, His Royal Highness Prince Louis entered the building and was introduced to all of the staff and then Niall. Harry barely heard a word Prince Louis and Niall exchanged. He was too busy noting how much more gorgeous the prince was in person than he was in pictures.

Before he knew it, though, he had to shove his reverie aside. It was his turn to meet the prince.

* * *

"Harry Styles," Niall's co-founder introduced himself, shaking Louis' hand. "I started the charity with Niall."

Louis had to call on every lesson he'd ever had in comportment to not get lost in chocolate brown curls, emerald green eyes, and the deepest dimples he'd seen in quite some time. With a smile and a handshake, he said, "Harry, it's so nice to meet you."

"You as well," Harry returned, his smile still wide.

Reluctantly, Louis dropped Harry's warm hand. "I was so impressed by what I saw in the video at your website."

Harry pointed to Niall. "That's all Niall. He did a really good job capturing what we're trying to do here."

"Can you tell me more about what it's like when you pay for someone's groceries?" Louis wanted to know.

Harry's smile grew even wider. "It's amazing. No matter who you choose, they're so grateful. We've gotten to help some really deserving people."

"It's such a wonderful idea," Louis commented. "How did you think of it?"

"I was at the grocery store one day, and I got behind someone who didn't have enough money for what she wanted to get. She was so embarrassed, and she started to try to figure out what she could put back," Harry explained. "I felt so bad for her, I decided to offer to pay for her groceries. She was overwhelmed, but she was so grateful. It made me feel so amazing. I decided to try it again, so the next time I was out grocery shopping, I got in line behind this man who was there with three small kids. I offered to pay for his groceries, and it was just as amazing as the first time. He was so grateful, and I couldn't believe how good it felt. I mentioned it to Niall, and we came up with the idea to start this as a charity.

"Sorry to ramble," he concluded. "I get carried away."

Louis shook his head, partly to show he didn't mind and partly to escape the lovely haze brought on by Harry's low, mesmerising voice. "No, no. I asked. That's terrific. It grew from there, then?"

Harry nodded. "Would you like to see what we have going on here?" He gestured toward the store behind him.

"I would," Louis told him. There was nothing he wanted more.

* * *

As Niall and Harry walked Prince Louis through the Clothes Closet and the food pantry, Harry tried to remember and savour each and every moment. Meeting the prince was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he didn't want to look back and just remember how gorgeous the prince was. He'd known that before. He wanted to remember his genuinely interested questions, his intense gaze, and his obvious intelligence.

After Niall gave a thorough description of how the food pantry worked, Louis asked about their funding and how they paid for everything.

"Well, Niall is a charmer, and he managed to get us some sponsors who got us enough money to get this space and keep it for a while. Our staff is all volunteer, and we exist mostly on donations," Harry explained. "We've been very lucky. Social media caught on to what we were doing, and we've gotten good exposure."

"That's fantastic," the prince noted. "I wonder…would it help out if you had a patron? Perhaps a royal one?"

Harry could not believe his ears. "Do you mean to say…?"

With a wide smile, Prince Louis nodded. "I mean to say I would very much like to be a patron of your fine organization. I really loved what I heard in the video, and I love even more what I've seen and heard today. Yours is a unique vision that I think deserves extra attention and as much support as you can get. I would be thrilled to help."

Harry fish-mouthed for a moment, unable to think of what exactly to say.

Fortunately, Niall was rarely without words. "That would be amazing, your Highness. We could definitely use all the help we can get." He held his hand out to shake the prince's once again. "Thank you so much."

Regaining his voice, Harry added, "Yes, thank you so much. This means the world to us."

"Excellent. We'll work together to see how I can best help you to get the word out about what you're doing here," Prince Louis went on. "Liam will be in contact with you so we can come up with the best way to move forward."

Prince Louis' assistant handed his card to both Harry and Niall. "We'll be in touch soon," he said smoothly. "I'm afraid that the prince has to leave now for another engagement."

"It was lovely to meet all of you." Prince Louis' gaze took in the entirety of the Treat People With Kindness staff before landing on Harry once again. "I look forward to working with you."

"Me, too," Harry returned, nearly losing himself in Prince Louis' eyes. When Niall cleared his throat beside him, Harry averted his gaze and amended his statement. "I mean we do, too."

The prince chuckled. "Have a good day."

"You as well," Harry said.

The staff waved goodbye as Prince Louis took his leave, off to another good deed, no doubt. When the prince was safely in his car, everyone broke into relieved giggles.

"Great job, everyone!" Harry exclaimed. "That was an amazing outcome, and it's all down to the work we've done so far. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

As the staff broke apart to chatter about the morning's excitement, Niall turned to Harry to ask, "What was that?"

Harry strove for innocence. "What was what?"

"You were making eyes at Prince Louis," Niall accused, a wicked grin spreading from ear to ear.

"I was not!" Harry protested, though he knew it would do him zero good.

"You were," Niall countered firmly. "But lucky you, he was making eyes right back at you."

This gave Harry pause. "He was?"

"He most definitely was."

* * *

Liam called Harry less than forty-eight hours later. He said Prince Louis wanted to sit down with Harry to discuss Treat People With Kindness in more depth, as well as his new role as patron.

Harry said his schedule was pretty flexible, unlike, he was sure, the prince's. Liam suggested a meeting in three days' time at Prince Louis' residence. The assistant gave Harry the address, and Harry assured him he could find his way there.

That gave Harry three days to be wildly nervous about the whole thing.

When he told Niall about the meeting, all Niall smugly said, "Told you so. I don't even care that I wasn't invited. Use your time wisely."

Deciding Niall would be of no use for any real advice, Harry called his mum to update her on his charity's new patron. He had already told her how well the visit had gone, and now he told her Prince Louis wanted a follow-up.

"That's so lovely, darling," his mum, Anne, commented. "It's wonderful he's taken such an interest in your work."

Part of the reason Harry had wanted to talk to his mother was because he could always be honest with her. He could tell her anything. So, after a deep breath, Harry admitted, "Niall thinks he fancies me, and that's why he wanted to meet with me again."

He was grateful she didn't laugh. Instead, she just hummed. "Hm. What do you think?"

Even though she couldn't see him, he shrugged. "I don't honestly know."

"Well, I know there are rumours about Prince Louis," Anne said, "and I know you think he's pretty dishy."

Harry blushed furiously. "Mum!"

She was completely unfazed by his horror. "Well, don't you?"

With a sigh, Harry reluctantly agreed, "I guess I do. But even if he did like me and I liked him, it could never go anywhere."

"Why not?"

"Whether he likes men or not, he has to have babies with a woman, not with a man," Harry pointed out. "That's the law."

"The law could change. It is 2018, after all," Anne stated a point of her own.

"I don't know, Mum…."

"Then go in with an open mind," his mum suggested. "Maybe he just wants to know more about the charity, and that's fantastic, if he does. Maybe he wants more than that. If you're prepared, nothing will be a surprise. Things can be worked out, even if right now you don't think they can."

"Okay," he returned. "I guess that makes sense."

"I look forward to hearing how it all goes," Anne commented.

She certainly wasn't the only one.

* * *

The three days between Liam's phone call and the scheduled appointment with Prince Louis alternated between dragging on and speeding by. Before Harry knew it, he was appraising his clothes to pick just the right outfit to wear. He had thought he'd wear a pair of khaki trousers and a black button-down, but now that the time was upon him to get dressed, he was questioning his choice.

Despite the fact that Harry knew she would tease him for years about it, he FaceTimed his sister Gemma to get her opinion--he'd told her he was meeting with the prince about Kindness, and he knew she wanted the meeting to go well for Harry. After laughing for much longer than he thought was necessary about him calling for assistance, she helped him pick out a pair of grey trousers and a cornflower blue button-down shirt. 

"A little colour is good," Gemma pointed out, "and that blue is just the right amount."

"Thanks, Gem," he told her. "Even if you did mock me."

"You're gay, H. You should be able to pick outfits," his sister returned.

"Hey! I usually do," Harry countered, offended.

After a beat, Gemma admitted, "You're right, you do."

"It's just not every day I'm meeting with the Crown Prince," Harry defended himself.

"That's so great that he wants to talk more about the charity, Harry," Gemma said more seriously. "I hope it goes smashingly."

"Thanks."

"By the way, Mum told me you thought he might want to talk about more than just your charity," Gemma said, quirking an eyebrow cheekily.

Annoyed to feel heat in his cheeks, Harry squawked, "Gemma!"

"Well, I know you think he's dishy," Gemma pressed on. "I saw your bedroom walls. I know you want to have his babies."

"I went through this with Mum. This is a professional meeting, Gemma," Harry insisted. "I'm not there to hit on him."

"Well, let me know if he hits on you, then." Gemma smirked. "Make sure to let him know you're a carrier."

"Gemma…. I already went through this with Mum. Royal heirs need to be born from females. It's a law. So even if he likes me, I'm not sure anything can happen." Harry frowned at the unpleasant thought.

"You never know…," Gemma insisted before inquiring, "Come over after to fill me in?"

"Yes. Fine." Harry reached for a black belt and ran it through the loops on his trousers.

Gemma rubbed her hands together eagerly. "I can't wait."

"See you later, Gem!" Harry waved goodbye, then ended the call.

It was too early to leave when Harry was done dressing and styling his hair. He didn't want to appear too eager. He sat and played Candy Crush until it was a more acceptable time to leave.

Liam's directions were very clear, and Harry easily found the car park he was supposed to use. The prince's private cottage was a short walk away, and in no time, Harry was standing at the gate, staring at Prince Louis' residence.

The prince's assistant had definitely referred to the residence as a cottage, but the large house behind the gate didn't look like any cottage Harry had ever seen. Cottages were small, one-storey homes. This was a two-storey house that wouldn't have fit anyone's definition of small. Guess when you're royal, though, and you're comparing a building to a castle, this two-storey might count as a cottage.

Harry hauled in a deep breath. It was time to quit stalling and push the intercom button.

Liam's tinny voice came through the black box. "Hello?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Hello. It's Harry Styles."

"Come in, come in." A buzzer sounded, and Harry pulled in another deep breath and pulled open the gate.

Liam met him at the front door, a big smile on his face. "Good morning, Mr. Styles." He stepped aside and gestured for Harry to enter.

"Good morning," Harry returned, trying hard not to appear as intimidated as he felt.

As Liam closed the door behind him, Harry took in the foyer. It was elegant, done in beautiful light woods, with a hardwood floor, a set of entry tables, and an ornate mirror. It was exactly what Harry would have imagined a royal entryway would look like.

"Right this way," Liam said.

Harry followed Liam to the right into a lounge that was just as elegant as the foyer, while simultaneously having a feeling of being part of a home. A fireplace was on the far end of the room. The tan walls featured beams of dark wood and paintings of country landscapes. The hardwood floor was covered in a large cream-coloured area rug, and there was a dark wood coffee table sat in between two forest green sofas. There were two matching easy chairs, and sat in one of those chairs was his host, Prince Louis himself.

The prince stood, smiled, and held his hand out. "Harry! Welcome!"

Harry shook Prince Louis' hand. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Have a seat," the prince pointed to the closest of the sofas. "I look forward to hearing more about your charity."

The sofa was comfortable, if not as plush as Harry would have guessed.

"Would you like some tea?" Prince Louis asked, seating himself on the sofa opposite Harry.

"Tea sounds good," Harry replied. "Thank you."

Liam left the room to, Harry assumed, tend to the tea.

"So, the reason I wanted to meet with you," the prince began, "was to learn more about what I can do as a patron that would benefit your charity the most."

"Of course, Your Highness," Harry said. He was struck by just how much more handsome the prince was when casual like this. His childhood crush was alive and well.

The prince held up a hand. "First things first, please call me Louis."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, then proceeded to choke on air, causing him to cough. He felt his cheeks beginning to burn, and he wished for the floor to drop open and suck him in. When the coughing began to subside, he became aware that Prince Louis was stood next to him, patting his upper back. Harry had to close his eyes to keep the cough from resurging. Finally, he was able to breathe--mostly.

A glass of water appeared in his field of vision, and he took it, gratefully gulping at it to clear his throat once and for all.

"Are you okay?" the prince asked, his voice filled with sincere concern even as he removed his hand from Harry's back.

Harry took another sip of water, then nodded. "Sorry about that."

Prince Louis smirked. "Was my request too much?"

Blushing furiously, Harry shrugged. "I wasn't expecting it, if I'm honest."

"Sorry. I just thought it might be a little easier to chat if you weren't thinking of me as Prince Louis," he explained. "The title can be a little…stifling."

"I can see that," Harry admitted. "But I've known you as Prince Louis since…. Well, since forever, given you're older than me. Not the easiest thing to shake."

"Well, give it a try. Lou…is," he dragged the name out in an exaggerated fashion. "Lou…is."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "Louis," he repeated dutifully, even if it seemed a little wrong to be saying.

Prin-- Louis gave a little clap. "Perfect! One more time."

"Louis," Harry repeated, adding a smile.

At this point, Harry noticed that Liam stood nearby, and the blush that was just starting to dissipate resurged at the thought that Liam had just borne witness to his indignity. It did make sense, though, given the glass of water. Harry cleared his throat and gazed up at Louis' assistant. "Sorry."

Liam gave a subtle shake of the head, then dipped his chin toward the tray in his hands. "Tea?"

"Please," Harry answered, happy to move on.

Soon enough, both Harry and Louis had steaming cups of tea in hand, and they could begin to discuss the business for which Louis had invited Harry over.

* * *

"First things first, please call me Louis."

Louis had hoped the request would get them on more equal ground. What happened instead was that his guest started to choke, then cough.

"Liam! Water!" Louis called, getting up to go stand next to Harry, tentatively patting him on the back. It was probably a breach in protocol, but Louis never had cared much for protocol.

It took a moment, but eventually, Harry stopped coughing and took the glass of water Liam had brought in, taking huge gulps that Louis was worried would make him choke again, but instead appeared to help.

"Are you okay?" Louis asked, lifting his hand from Harry's back.

Harry sipped at his water again, then nodded. "Sorry about that."

"Was my request too much?" Louis teased.

An absolutely adorable blush crept up Harry's cheeks. "I wasn't expecting it, if I'm honest."

Louis immediately felt bad. "Sorry. I just thought it might be a little easier to chat if you weren't thinking of me as Prince Louis. The title can be a little…stifling." It wasn't quite the right word, but Louis hoped Harry got the gist anyhow.

Thankfully, Harry said, "I can see that. But I've know you as Prince Louis since…. Well, since forever, given that you're older than me. Not the easiest thing to shake."

"Well, give it a try," Louis implored. "Lou…is. Lou…is." He felt kind of silly, but it made Harry laugh, so it was worth it.

"Louis," Harry parroted.

Louis offered a small round of applause. "Perfect! One more time."

Harry smiled adorably as he did Louis' bidding. "Louis."

Liam approached at this point with the tea tray he'd prepared, disrupting the little moment Louis and Harry were having. Stupid Liam. It was like his assistant had a clause in his contract that he had to keep Louis three metres from fun at any given time.

Clearly having also noticed Liam, Harry apologised to him. "Sorry."

In true Liam fashion, Louis' assistant almost imperceptibly shook his head before asking, "Tea?"

"Please," Harry allowed, his tone laced with gratitude.

Liam prepared Louis' cup first--black, one sugar--then Harry's--cream, two sugars. He pointed out the plate of biscuits he'd put on the tray, then stepped out of the room to let Louis and Harry get on with their conversation.

Louis sipped at his tea, then set it on the coffee table. "So, how has the public response been to your charity?"

Setting his own tea down, Harry replied, "It's been good. Slow-going, but good. We've been getting a steady stream of donations ever since our YouTube video and Facebook page went up. We've definitely had an uptick since your visit, too, so that's great."

"Glad I could help! Well, what do you think you'd need to get even more donations?" Louis wanted to know.

Harry paused to give the question real thought. Louis loved the seriousness with which Harry clearly took his work. Finally, he said, "I just think more exposure. The more people know what we're doing, the more I hope they'll want to help. Not just by giving money or donating things, but by going out and doing what we're doing…buying groceries, giving away clothes and food to people who really need it."

Louis nodded enthusiastically. "That all sounds great."

"Maybe you doing some sort of video would help," Harry suggested, keeping his tone cautious. Louis was familiar with this--people not wanting to offend a member of the royal family.

"I think I could do that," Louis told him, making sure to infuse as much enthusiasm into his agreement as he possibly could.

The smile on Harry's face told Louis he was happy that Louis was on board with the plan. The dimples exposed when Harry smiled would, Louis was afraid, be his undoing.

Trying to appear calm and cool, Louis took a sip of his tea, then added an idea of his own to the mix. "I could also help get out the word via the royal website."

"That would be super." Harry's smile widened. "Thank you so much."

Louis thought of something else. "There's more…."

While sipping at his own tea, Harry lifted his eyebrows. "More? You're already doing so much."

"One can never do too much when it comes to helping others," Louis pointed out.

Nodding seriously, Harry agreed, "True enough."

"I was thinking I could come back and actually help out," Louis explained. "I could follow you around, do whatever it is you're doing. We could film it and put it online, making sure, of course, that it's properly publicised."

Harry was rendered speechless, literally looking at Louis with his mouth hanging open.

"Should I take that as good sign?" Louis checked, grinning in anticipation of Harry's response.

Harry nodded wildly, his curls bouncing. "That would be…amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"I look forward to getting to work," Louis confessed.

"Me, too," Harry said.

Now it was time for Louis to think fast. He didn't want Harry to up and leave. While part of the reason behind inviting him to meet was to get ideas for the charity, the other part was purely selfish. He thought Harry was incredibly cute, and he wanted to get to know him better. Which gave him yet another good idea, if he did say so himself.

Louis cleared his throat and stated, "So, since we're going to be working together, you have me at a disadvantage."

Harry's forehead wrinkled. "I do?"

"You know a lot about me, but I don't know a lot about you." Louis smiled and raised his eyebrows.

Harry smiled, too. "That's true."

"So, why don't you remedy that? Tell me about yourself." Louis leaned back into his seat and crossed his arms.

"Where should I start?" Harry wanted to know.

"What about telling me where you're from?" Louis proposed. "I can tell from your accent that you're not originally from London."

"You're right. I'm not. I'm from Holmes Chapel, in Cheshire." Harry sipped at his tea, his hand shaking a little, before continuing. "I followed my sister down to London. She's a writer, and she moved down here when she was done at university."

"What kind of writing does she do?"

"She's a freelance writer," Harry answered. "She mostly writes about social media and culture, with some psychology thrown in there."

"Wow. That's terrific. Are you two close?" Louis questioned.

"We are. She's the best." Harry smiled to punctuate his thought.

"My sisters are pretty cool, too," Louis confided. His sisters--all five of them--were fantastic, and he could not love them any more than he did. His brother, too, of course.

"They sure seem to be." 

"So, how long have you been in London?" Louis urged Harry to carry on sharing personal information.

"I did a business degree at university, then moved here directly after, about two years ago."

"And how are you finding London?" Louis asked. He had grown up in London, and though he had visited many other parts of the country, he had no experience with London as a new city.

"Well, it's definitely busier than it is up in Cheshire," Harry commented. "There are so many people here, so much to do and see."

"Are your parents still in Cheshire?" Louis took a drink from his cooling tea.

"My mum is in Cheshire, and my dad is in Manchester. They're divorced," Harry revealed, quickly adding, "They get along, though. It wasn't a messy divorce or anything."

"I'll bet they're both proud of you, starting a charity and all," Louis guessed.

Harry chuckled. "They are, but they're also worried about how I'm going to make a living."

"How are you?" Louis wondered aloud. "If I'm allowed to ask."

"I'm working at a bakery from early in the morning to midday, when I switch to Kindness for the rest of the day," Harry told him.

Louis frowned in sympathy. His schedule could be busy, but he was not as busy as poor Harry was. "You must be very tired."

"I am," Harry confirmed. "But it's worth it."

"I'll bet," Louis agreed.

Liam appeared at that moment, walking up to Louis and whispering in his ear. "You're needed by your mother, Her Majesty the Queen."

Louis sighed. He had hoped to have a little more time with Harry, but his mother took precedence over everyone. He looked over at his guest and offered an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry. I've been summoned by my mother."

Harry smirked. "I totally understand. I get summoned by the Queen all the time."

Louis chuckled, standing up and reaching out a hand. "Thanks for understanding."

Harry stood to take Louis' hand. "No problem."

"We'll have to pick up this conversation another time," Louis insisted, starting to move in the direction of the front door.

Harry followed him, with Liam not far behind. "We will?"

"Absolutely. I still want to learn more about Harry Styles." Louis grabbed his jacket from the closet in the hallway, then opened the front door for Harry and Liam, gesturing for them both to go through.

"I'm happy to come back any time," Harry said, turning to look back at Louis.

Louis was happy to hear that. "I'll hold you to it."

"Please do."

* * *

As he'd promised, Harry went immediately to his sister's flat to share what happened at his meeting with Louis. She made them some sandwiches for lunch, then they started the debrief.

"He had all these wonderful ideas to help Kindness out," Harry began before taking a bite of his turkey sandwich.

"I'm sure he did," Gemma returned. "But that is not what I invited you over to hear about."

Harry gave an exaggerated sigh. "You are such a gossip."

"Spill!" she ordered through her bite of food. "Did he ask you about anything other than the charity?"

He felt his cheeks redden, and he knew that was all his sister would need. He sighed again.

"Ha!" She pointed at him accusingly. "I knew it! He did, didn't he?"

Resigned to telling her what happened, he told her, "He said if we were working together, it was unfair that I knew a lot about him, but he didn't know a lot about me."

"Oooh, he's smooth." Gemma sipped at her bottle of water. "So, what did you tell him?"

"He asked where I was from, and I told him about moving down to London and starting the charity," Harry relayed. "I told him about you and your job. I told him about my job at the bakery. Then, he had to cut our time short to meet with the Queen."

Gemma grinned. "If I had a pound for every time I had someone have to cut a meeting short because they had to meet up with the Queen…."

He chuckled. "You'd be broke."

Gemma laughed, too. "But that's great, H. He sounds really interested in both you and the charity."

"I guess he is," Harry admitted. He looked at her seriously. "He wants us to meet again. What should I do?"

"Follow his lead," Gemma said immediately. "You can't be forward with the Prince of Wales."

Harry nodded. "That makes sense." He picked up his bottle of water for a drink.

"But if he kisses you, kiss him back."

For the second time that day, Harry choked, this time on water, not air. He glared at Gemma through the tears in his eyes.

She got up to pat him on the back, just as Louis had earlier. It was a weird sort of déjà vu. "I'm so sorry. Didn't mean to make you choke."

After a moment, Harry was able to sip at some water and clear his throat.

"You okay there, H?" Gemma asked, her eyes filled with worry.

"I'm fine." He took another drink, then met her gaze. "You're evil."

Her innocent look wasn't going to fool him. He raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?"

She raised her eyebrows back at him. "I'm just trying to look out for you, baby bro." 

"'If he kisses you, kiss him back'? That's your sage older sister advice?"

"I have more," Gemma assured him. "If he wants to sleep with you, use a condom. At least until you can have that law changed."

Harry shook his head. "You are incorrigible."

She shot him a cheeky grin. "Thank you."

"You're no help," Harry had to conclude. "Let's talk about something else, please."

"We'll talk about you and Prince Louis another time, then."

Harry knew his sister well. "I don't doubt it."

"So, about Man U's last match…."

* * *

"So, did you ask him about anything other than the charity?" Lottie asked as they left their mother's quarters.

Louis could tell the moment the blush began up his cheeks.

His sister stared at him intently. "You did," she said with a smile.

"I did," Louis admitted.

"What did you ask him about?" Lottie pressed for more information.

Louis looked to their left and right at the bodyguards walking close by, then behind them at Liam and Kellie, Lottie's assistant. He knew they were all beyond reproach and always discreet. Even so, he didn't want to have this conversation with an audience. "Come back to mine for some tea?"

"Sure," Lottie agreed readily.

The siblings dismissed their respective assistants for the rest of the day, then jumped into one of the royal limousines, their security sitting in the jump seats across from them. A short time later, they arrived at Louis' cottage. Their bodyguards left them in the capable hands of the officers stationed around Louis' residence, then Louis and Lottie moved inside, where they worked together to make tea. Lottie got into Louis' not-so-secret stash of biscuits and made up a plate, then they retired to the lounge.

Blowing on her tea to cool it, Lottie repeated her query from earlier. "So, what else did you ask…Harry, is it? What else did you ask Harry about?"

Louis stalled for a moment by biting into one of the chocolate biscuits Lottie had brought in, but when she levelled him with an unimpressed look, he got to answering her. "I asked him where he was from and what brought him to London."

"So, what did he say?" Lottie wasn't going to let him get away with being vague.

"He's from Cheshire and moved down to London after university. His sister lives here, too. She's a writer," he added before Lottie could ask.

"Does he just do the charity work full time?" Lottie sought even more detail.

Louis shook his head. "He works at a bakery in the mornings, then the charity in the afternoon."

"Oooh, he cooks." Lottie sipped at her tea, then stole a biscuit. "So, was he still as cute as you remembered?"

Had there ever been a day he'd blushed this many times? "I should never have told you anything about meeting him."

"Nonsense! He's the first person in ages you've sounded interested in. I'm happy for you!" Lottie grinned.

"I don't know, Lots. I'm not really sure I should pursue this." This was why he'd told Lottie about Harry to begin with. There was no one whose advice he respected more, save, perhaps, his mother.

"Louis," Lottie began in a serious tone. "I know you've spent your whole life hearing about how you have to have children with a woman--" She shook a finger at him when he opened his mouth, and he shut it without saying a word. "It's 2018. I think it's time you follow your heart. Laws can be changed."

"I still don't know…." Louis pulled in a breath, then slowly let it out.

"Hey, until recently, girls were skipped in favour of their brothers in the line of succession. That law got changed," Lottie pointed out.

"That's true," Louis begrudgingly agreed.

"You need to meet with him again," Lottie insisted. "I decree it."

Louis shot her a withering look. "You decree it?"

"I am Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte. What I say goes." She picked her cup of tea up and snootily stuck out her pinkie finger to take a sip.

"Well, then, Your Highness, I guess I have no choice."

Lottie grinned. "None at all."

* * *

Two days after his first private meeting with Prince Louis, the royal's assistant, Liam, called to arrange another private meeting. Harry asked if Louis had time on the following Monday, knowing that gave him enough time to ask for time off at the bakery. Liam pencilled Harry in, and Harry had another multi-day stretch in which to get nervous about another meeting with Louis.

This time, he chose not to let anyone know he was meeting with Louis. Not his mum, not his sister, not Niall. He was anxious enough about seeing Louis again. He absolutely didn't need any more pressure--he was already putting enough on himself.

As he'd thought, the bakery was fine with him taking a day off. He was even able to exchange his hours with one of his co-workers, so he wouldn't have to lose any income.

The meeting was scheduled for the early morning on the Monday Harry had requested. He slept horribly, but that allowed him to be up, dressed, and ready with plenty of time to spare.

Despite rush hour traffic, Harry arrived at the car park early. He used the extra time to listen to calming music on a Spotify playlist he'd created for this very purpose. At the appointed time, he walked up to the cottage gate, and Liam buzzed him in.

Just like last time, the prince's assistant greeted him at the door, showing him once again into the lounge, where Louis was waiting for him.

"Harry!" Louis began, jumping up with enthusiasm to shake Harry's hand. "Thanks for coming back."

"Thanks for having me back." Harry sat in the same spot on the sofa that he'd occupied during the last visit.

"Would you like tea or coffee?" Liam asked Louis and Harry.

"Tea would be wonderful," Louis responded first.

"Could I get a coffee?" Harry went next.

"How would you like it?" Liam inquired.

"Just black, please."

"I'll be right back," Liam promised, then he exited toward the kitchen.

"You asked for coffee like it was life or death," Louis commented. "Not a morning person?"

"Actually, I am," Harry countered with a wry smile. "But coffee is a must in the morning anyhow. You don't like coffee?"

"I am a member of the royal family," Louis said in an exaggerated proper accent. "We only drink tea."

Harry chuckled. "Good to know. It’s also good to know that you keep coffee around for guests."

"But of course," Louis said, still a little hoity toity. "We aim to please."

As if punctuating Louis' point, Liam reappeared with a tray laden with two pots and two cups. He poured tea from one pot into one cup for Louis, and coffee from the other pot into the other cup for Harry. He set a plate of plain scones and a bowl of clotted cream on the coffee table, along with small plates and silverware, then he disappeared again.

Setting his teacup down on the coffee table, Louis inquired, "Is the coffee all right?"

Harry took an experimental sip. "Mm. It's really good. I'm guessing you royals get all the best coffee beans."

"Only the best," Louis confirmed, adding, "Help yourself to a scone."

Once they both had scones to go with their hot drinks, Louis continued the conversation first. "So, how are things at the charity?"

Harry nodded. "Going well. Your visit has definitely raised awareness. We're getting a lot more hits on our website and more donations than usual."

"That's great to hear."

"I told Niall about all your ideas," Harry went on, "and he loved all of them."

Louis picked up a tablet he'd set on the side table. "Since you mention that, Liam and I have been playing around with some ideas. Come sit over here to look?"

"Sure." Harry picked up his coffee and moved to sit next to Louis.

Louis touched the screen of the tablet to turn it on, opening it to what looked like an outline with some graphics interspersed.

Harry was impressed at first glance. "Which one of you is the technology wizard?"

"Definitely Liam," Louis replied, laughing. "Though he's taught me a lot."

Pointing at the screen, Harry questioned, "So, what are we looking at?"

For the next few minutes, Louis animatedly went over what he and Liam had put together as far as ideas for Louis to help out at Kindness. The ideas including Louis taping a PSA to be posted at both the official Royal website and at the charity site, Louis writing something that could go in the charity literature, and Louis coming for another visit, but this time for longer and to really lend a hand for a period of time. This video would also be posted to the royal and charity websites.

When Louis was done outlining all his suggestions for what he could do as Treat People With Kindness' official patron, Harry was overwhelmed. "Just one of these would be amazing."

"Well, I think we can do all of them," Louis stated with confidence. "I'd really like to try."

"I'm…." Harry trailed off. He took a moment to think, then tried again. "I cannot thank you enough."

"I'm looking forward to getting started," Louis confessed, grinning. 

"Me, too." Truer words had never been spoken. Not from Harry's lips anyway.

"I'll get Liam to work out a schedule with you and Niall, then we can get something filmed for the websites," Louis concluded his pitch.

"That sounds perfect."

With that topic coming to a natural close, both Harry and Louis picked up their scones to eat, and they finished their tea and coffee.

Harry couldn't believe how relaxed he felt around Louis. In the back of his mind, he was definitely still awed to be in the presence of the prince, but Louis was beginning to feel like a friend. Even so, Harry could think of no excuse for staying. Not now that they had discussed just about everything regarding Louis and helping Kindness.

He looked over at Louis. Regretfully, he said, "I should probably leave now. I'm sure you have many other engagements to attend to."

One second, he was moving to stand up, the next he had a hand that wasn't his on his thigh and a prince's lips on his lips. Harry stopped moving.

* * *

Louis had just set down his tea when Harry turned a pair of sad green eyes on him. "I should probably leave now. I'm sure you have many other engagements to attend to."

These words made Louis sad, too. He didn't want Harry to leave. He was enjoying his company. It wasn't often that Louis got to make a new friend, but though they hadn't known each other long, Louis already felt truly comfortable with Harry.

Harry reached a hand down to the couch to push himself up. Louis had to act fast to keep him from going. He put his hand on Harry's thigh and pressed his lips to Harry's.

Harry froze.

Louis froze right along with him. Then, when Harry didn't pull away, Louis risked pressing further into the kiss. Harry slowly joined in, though Louis was sure to keep things light, not wanting to go too far too fast.

Harry tasted like coffee, bitter with just a hint of sweet. Louis felt like he was getting a caffeine hit just from Harry's full, supple lips--or maybe it was just a little high from kissing someone he felt a real connection with.

Louis was at the point of getting lost in the kiss when Harry abruptly pulled away.

"I'm sorry," Harry sputtered. He pushed himself up off the sofa. "I have to go."

"No, Harry, I'm sorry." Louis stood up as well.

Shaking his head, Harry said, "It's okay. It's fine. I've just really…got to go."

As Harry headed to the door, Louis followed closely behind. Harry turned to say over his shoulder, "Thank you so, so much for meeting with me again and going over all your ideas. I cannot wait to get started."

Louis smiled as he moved to get ahead of Harry to get the front door for him. "I'm looking forward to starting, too. Can I have Liam contact you to set up a date to film a message for the websites?"

"Absolutely," Harry said without hesitation. "I'm serious. I can't wait to get started on all of this."

"I'll see you soon, then," Louis told him by way of farewell.

With a smile, Harry returned, "See you soon." He walked out the door and Louis watched as he headed down the path and through the gate, out to his car.

Louis was left not knowing quite what to think. On the one hand, he didn't think the kiss had been entirely unwelcome. Harry had gotten into it, if only for a moment. On the other, Harry had gotten up and left in the middle of the kiss. Not exactly a case for a rousing success.

After closing the front door, Louis went to find Liam. His assistant was in the home office, going through Louis' schedule on the computer. He looked up when Louis came in. "Did the meeting go well?"

"I think so," Louis answered. "He seemed to like all our ideas."

Liam beamed. "Excellent."

"Can you contact Harry at the charity to schedule a time when we can go there to film something for the website?"

"I'll do that by the end of today," Liam vowed, on top of things, as always.

"What do we have next?" Louis gestured toward the computer monitor.

Liam clicked through to the current date. "An appearance at a school in South London. They won a contest to get a visit from you. We're due there in about an hour and a half."

Louis tugged at his suit jacket. "I'll go change into something a little more casual."

"Sounds good." Liam focused his attention once again on the virtual calendar.

He was just about to exit the room when Louis turned back to Liam. "When you call Harry, can you get his mobile number for me?"

"Sure," Liam agreed.

"Great." Louis had just had a brilliant, beyond brilliant idea. If he did say so himself.

* * *

**Hi Harry. This is Louis. Prince Louis. Be impressed. Not everyone gets my private mobile number.**

Harry stared down at the text message he'd received not five minutes earlier. Liam had asked for his mobile number, but he'd had no idea--nor imagined--that Prince Louis would use the number to say hello via text.

Knowing that it would be wildly rude not to respond--and to respond quickly--Harry went through several different possible responses.

 _Hi Louis. How's it going?_ Too casual.

 _Hello Louis. It's wonderful to hear from you._ Too formal.

 _Hi Louis. I really liked the kiss. Can we do it again soon?_ Too forward. Even if he had really enjoyed the kiss. Couldn't, in fact, stop thinking about the kiss.

Finally, he settled on: _Hi Louis. I'm very flattered to have your number. How are you doing?_ He hit send, then waited impatiently.

**I'm glad Liam got the right number. I heard he set up our video shoot for the day after tomorrow.**

_He did. I'm looking forward to it._

**Me, too. I hope we can really raise the visibility of your charity.**

_Thank you again for being so willing to help._

**It's my pleasure. You're doing great work. More people should know about it.**

Harry's heart swelled with joy. It was so amazing to meet someone who felt as strongly about helping people as he did. That it was someone in a position to help even more people was an incredible bonus. Or maybe the bonus was that Louis was a really good kisser, and maybe he'd be willing to kiss Harry again.

**Got to get to an appointment. Just wanted to check in and say hello.**

_I'm glad you did. Have a great appointment. Talk to you soon._

**I'm counting on it.**

Harry didn't know what to think about the texting conversation he'd just had. It was surreal to be exchanging texts with the man who would one day be King, but, then again, it felt oddly right.

* * *

Louis' plan was working. For the next forty-eight hours, he and Harry texted back and forth. Louis kept his texts light and easy going, and Harry responded in kind. By the time Louis went to Treat People With Kindness to film his public service announcement, he felt like he and Harry were on equal footing. Friends.

The recording went really well. The camera followed Louis from the front to the food pantry to the Clothes Closet, explaining all that Harry's charity did and urging people to help out either by volunteering or by donating money. Harry and Niall featured in the video, too, introduced as the men who had spearheaded the entire venture.

"That's a wrap," the videographer--Jason--said as he got the last shot he needed. "I think we have plenty of footage to come up with a great PSA."

"Thank you," Louis said, and Jason did a little bow.

"Yes, thanks so much," Harry echoed, reaching out to shake Jason's hand.

When Niall shook Jason's hand, he asked, "How soon do you think you'll have something pulled together?"

"Give me about three days, and I'll have something to send you."

"Perfect," Niall told him.

As Jason packed up his equipment, Louis turned to Harry and Niall to say, "We should get together when the PSA is done. I can't imagine watching it on my own. It's for all of us to approve, though it will also have to go through some royal red tape before it can be put online."

"Of course," Harry said. "I'm sure we can find a time to get together and watch it."

"Excellent," Louis returned. "It's a plan."

And Louis was as good as his word. When Jason called Liam to tell him the PSA was ready, Louis had him arrange for Harry and Niall to come to his cottage for a viewing. He knew it was wrong, but he regretted having to invite Niall. Even though he had met with Harry alone--twice--Niall was in the video, too. As much as he did have regret, he didn't feel it was fair to leave Niall out. To be sure, he liked Niall fine. He just liked Harry more.

Louis' joy was unmatched, then, when at the appointed hour for the viewing, Liam walked in with just Harry, no Niall in site.

Rising from the sofa to greet Harry with a handshake, he inquired, "Will Niall not be joining us?"

Harry shook his head. "He wasn't feeling very well, so he sent me on my own. I hope that's okay."

Louis tried not to sound too enthusiastic when he said, "That's absolutely fine. We can e-mail him a copy of the video to watch when he's feeling better."

"Sounds great." Harry's dimpled smile was almost too much for Louis' system.

Louis recovered himself quickly to ask, "Shall we get to the video, then?"

"Sure. I can't wait to see what Jason came up with," Harry commented.

Liam had set up the laptop in the dining area, so Louis led Harry there, suggesting they sit side by side on one long end of the table to watch the PSA.

From the moment he clicked on the _play_ button on the screen, Louis was acutely aware of just how close Harry was. Louis tried to focus on the video Jason had put together, but it was difficult when Harry was sat so near and smelled so nice. Making it exponentially harder was how cute Harry was as he focused on the video. By the time the video was over, Louis wasn't sure he would have been able to recite more than two or three details about it.

As the credits rolled, Harry questioned, "What did you think?"

Louis didn't think his immediate thought-- _I think that you're just about the best-looking thing I've ever seen_ \--was shareable. He gave his head a minute shake and said, "I thought it was very good. What about you?"

Harry nodded. "I thought it was really good, too. I really like how he managed to really get across all that we do. Not just the groceries thing that everyone's intrigued by, but the pantry and the Clothes Closet, too." Harry had definitely paid more attention to the PSA than Louis.

"Shall we watch it one more time?" Louis wondered aloud. He really did want to be able to comment intelligently about the video.

"I'm game," Harry agreed, going ahead and pressing the replay icon.

This time, Louis forced himself to concentrate on the PSA, and Harry was right. Jason was able to highlight everything the charity did and why it was so important. "This will be the perfect piece to put online to draw everyone's attention to your charity."

"I think so, too." Harry smiled, clearly pleased with the outcome and potential boost to his charity's visibility.

"I'll have Liam send it up the chain to get approval to go live with it," Louis stated. "It shouldn't take too long. I don't think anyone will have any objections."

"Great!"

A brief moment of silence fell over them, and it was just about to get awkward when Louis said, "So. Do you have time for some tea?"

"Sure."

"Go ahead back to the lounge, and I'll have Liam make some," Louis said.

Harry got up first and headed back to the lounge, while Louis went to ask Liam to make some tea. At the same time, Louis told Liam that once he'd served the tea, he could head home a little early. It was nearing the end of the business day anyway.

Less than ten minutes later, Louis and Harry both had cups of tea and Liam was on his way home.

Harry was taking a tentative sip of tea when Louis admitted, "I'm kind of glad Niall couldn't come today."

"Oh?" Harry raised his eyebrows and took a second sip of tea.

"I like having you all to myself."

Louis recognised the adorable blush that took over Harry's cheeks. It was just as adorable the second time as it had been the first.

When Harry didn't say anything, Louis boldly went on. "I feel a connection to you that I haven't felt for anyone ever." He paused for a moment before saying, "That's not too odd for me to say, is it?"

It took Harry a moment, but he eventually shook his head. "I feel that way, too. Even before you kissed me."

"But you left!" Louis accused, though he was careful to keep his tone light. "You left after I kissed you."

Harry immediately went on the defence "You're Prince Louis! It was…overwhelming. I mean, there've been rumours about you, but…."

"Surprise! I'm gay," Louis proclaimed.

Harry smirked, putting his cup down on its saucer. "Not really such a surprise after that kiss."

"So, would you be up for trying that kiss again?" Louis inquired.

After a slight hesitation--during which Louis held his breath--Harry nodded almost imperceptibly.

Louis wasted no time in pressing his lips to Harry's once again.

* * *

"So, would you be up for trying that kiss again?"

Harry had dreamed about that kiss ever since it happened. It was still a little weird to think about kissing the Prince of Wales, but despite that weirdness, he wanted to kiss Louis again. He offered Louis a small nod.

It was good he'd put down his tea cup before Louis had asked his question, since the minute Harry nodded, Louis leaned over to claim Harry's lips.

In order to not be focusing on the fact that he was kissing _Prince Louis_ , Harry focused on how Louis tasted, of tea and what he thought might be chocolate. He focused on how soft Louis' lips were. He focused on the heat shooting up and down his spine and down to his groin.

When Louis' tongue teased his lips, Harry let it in, and their kiss grew deeper, more passionate. They looped their hands behind each other's necks, anchoring each other in where they were and what they were doing.

Eventually, of course, they had to part for breath. They only breathed for a minute, though, before diving right back in. It became completely obvious to Harry that he was not the only one whose pants were becoming too tight. Louis' subtle squirms gave away the game.

The second time they separated, breathless, Louis looked Harry straight in the eye. "I want more."

Louis' eyes were vibrantly blue, his voice was rough with lust, and his hands were soft and warm on Harry's neck. It was all incredibly overwhelming. That, combined with the tightness in his pants, had him saying, "I want more, too."

As if he didn't want Harry to change his mind, Louis stood and grabbed Harry's hand. He led him out of the lounge, up the stairs, down a long hallway, and into a bedroom.

The bedroom was well-appointed, with dark walls, wooden beams, and a large bed right in the middle decked out in navy and burgundy tones. Harry had no time to examine the room any further, since Louis immediately pulled him in for another kiss. And another and another.

When Harry felt like a very pliant noodle indeed, Louis pushed him away just far enough to put his fingers on the top button of his shirt. It was abundantly clear to Harry what Louis wanted to do.

"May I?" Louis asked, looking up at Harry through his eyelashes.

Harry nodded.

Louis distracted Harry from what he was doing by kissing him again while unbuttoning his shirt. By the time he was done, Harry felt emboldened enough to unbutton Louis' shirt in kind. In no time at all, they had also taken care of their trousers, socks, and shoes, making two crumpled piles of clothes on the floor. Vaguely, Harry wondered if Louis had a maid that would take care of his mess later. This thought fled when Louis gently snapped the waistband of Harry's pants.

Harry met Louis' gaze. "Yes, Your Highness?"

Scrunching up his face, Louis requested, "Don't do that. Remember, it's Louis."

"Louis," Harry softly sing-songed back.

Louis tugged once more at the waistband of Harry's pants. "You up for this?"

Harry reached down to pull the waistband out of Louis' fingers, making a show of checking out the inside of his pants. "It appears I am definitely up for it."

A smile adorned Louis' handsome face as he took Harry's hand and led him to the bed. "In all seriousness, are you okay with this?"

"I'm nervous," Harry admitted, "but I want this, too."

"So, top or bottom?" Louis inquired, keeping the questioning short and sweet.

"Bottom. Usually," Harry replied.

"I can work with that." Louis used his free hand to go into the drawer of his night table, retrieving a tube of lubricant and a condom, holding them up for Harry's inspection. Harry was relieved. He hadn't even had a chance yet to tell Louis he was a carrier. Protection made it possible to have that conversation later.

"Smooth." Harry was impressed. "You've done this before."

Louis tilted his head back and forth. "I have, but it's been a while."

"I sense it'll be like riding a bike." Harry grinned.

Louis released Harry's hand to shed his own pants. Harry followed suit, then followed Louis onto the bed. Louis urged Harry onto his back, making him comfortable against some of the pillows at the head of the bed. Louis immediately covered Harry's body with his own and resumed their kissing.

Every time Harry would remember that he was laying on Prince Louis' bed being kissed by Prince Louis, Louis would do something that distracted him from his thoughts and sent shivers up and down his spine yet again.

Harry was fairly relaxed when Louis coated his fingers and reached down to tease and stretch Harry's entrance. It may have been a while since Louis had done this, but he had clearly not forgotten how to make his partner feel good.

Before too long, Louis whispered, "Ready?"

"Ready," Harry whispered back.

First, Louis made a little show of slipping on the condom, then he took Harry's shins in his hands and bent Harry's knees, pushing his legs back. Harry reached up to grab his thighs, pulling back to open himself up for Louis. Louis propped himself up with one hand, then used the other to line his cock up with Harry's entrance. He slid in carefully, then began to move.

At first, the rhythm Louis set was slow, but it wasn't long before he began to move faster. Harry could barely think beyond registering each and every sensation, from Louis' body pressing against his legs, to Louis' cock hitting his prostate, and the heady scent of sex wafting around them.

On a particularly deep thrust, Harry moaned and came harder than he'd done in a very long time. As he clenched around Louis' cock, he felt Louis shudder and come himself.

They stayed still for a long moment, then Louis pulled out and took care of removing the condom, tying it off and stretching to throw it into a nearby rubbish bin. When he returned to hover above Harry, he smiled and asked, "How was that for you?"

After hauling in a shaky, deep breath, Harry met Louis' gaze. "That was amazing."

Louis smirked. "I won't say the obvious thing about how awesome it is to sleep with the future King."

Harry smirked back. "And I appreciate the effort."

Louis rolled to lay beside Harry, idly running a fingertip down Harry's arm. "In all seriousness, I do want you to know that although I am in no way a virgin, I'm not one of those royal playboys. I don't believe in one night stands."

Harry let his smirk soften into a smile. "Good to know." He glanced over Louis to the bedside table, and his eyes widened. "Is that the time?" The LED on the clock read 18:12.

Louis craned his neck to take in the clock. "Seems right."

"Damn." Harry jumped out of bed. "Can I borrow your washroom to clean up? I'm meant to be meeting my sister in just over fifteen minutes."

Propping himself up on his elbows, Louis nodded. "Yes. Though I'll be sad to see you go. You'll come back, yes?"

Harry picked up his trousers, shirt, and pants. "Yes. Absolutely. The washroom?"

"Right there." Louis pointed to a door in the corner.

In what had to be a world record, Harry washed up and redressed, making sure to tame his hair and splash some water on his face. When he returned to Louis' bedroom, the prince had also gotten back into his clothes.

"I hate to leave in such a rush," Harry said, checking to make sure his wallet was still in his back pocket.

Louis shook his head. "I completely understand. An angry sister is nothing to mess with."

Harry followed Louis down the hall and down the stairs, where Louis opened the front door. Harry stopped before heading out. "Thanks for…an interesting time."

With a grin, Louis told him, "You're quite welcome."

"Goodbye." Harry rushed down the stairs and ran to his car. Gemma was going to kill him.

There was a text waiting as he got into the car.

**Meet again tomorrow?**

Harry smiled and quickly sent a reply. _I'd like that very much._

* * *

The next couple months were the craziest Harry had had in a while. His mornings were given to the bakery, and his afternoons belonged to Kindness. Three or four times a week, though, his evenings were spent at Louis' cottage.

Louis, of course, had a busy schedule, but he still wanted to fulfil his promise to do what he could to help out Harry's charity. He was filmed for a whole afternoon as he helped out at the charity, including going to the supermarket with Harry to buy someone's groceries, and he worked with Liam to make sure that his support of the charity was advertised as much as possible.

Harry and Louis were both perfectly professional when they were working together to boost the charity's visibility, but on the evenings when Louis didn't have another engagement, Harry would go over and they would spend time together, getting to know each other in both superficial and deeper ways.

It was a little odd for Harry to be seeing Louis on such a regular basis. There were times it was impossible to forget that he was a prince, but over time, Harry came to think of him as just Louis.

They were keeping their budding relationship a secret, as neither wanted to admit that it was becoming serious enough to start mentioning it to family and friends. This also gave Harry an excuse to put off the conversation with Louis about the fact that he was a carrier. Why bring something so potentially charged into the mix when it might not _really_ be serious?

Unfortunately, a couple of weeks after the charity began to really pick up speed--thanks chiefly to all of Louis' patronage--Harry became ill with something he could not shake. His stomach was out of sorts, and nothing he did made him feel better. He begged off from both of his jobs and from time with Louis to try to see if he was just run down and needed some real rest.

Gemma came to his flat one evening to take care of him. He had, after all, been complaining to her about being ill for over a week now. After holding a cold flannel to the back of his neck as he threw up the meagre supper he'd managed to get down not thirty minutes earlier, she gasped.

"What?" Harry asked weakly.

"Harry, have you slept with anyone in the last couple of months?" his sister inquired.

This was not the most opportune time to admit that he and Prince Louis had been having sex for quite a few weeks now, but he couldn't completely lie to Gemma. She'd see through him in an instant. "Well…yes," he hedged. She didn't need to know the details.

Armed with this information, Gemma suggested, "Could you be pregnant?"

It was as if every last bit of air was sucked from the room. Harry's entire body felt like it was full of synapses all firing at once, and he gasped so loudly Gemma jumped.

"Harry? Could you be pregnant?" she repeated herself, this time her voice squeaking just a little.

Harry paused to think, which was hard through the haze of panic. He shook his head. "No, that can't be it. We've been careful. Condoms every time." He tried to pull in a few deep breaths, but that barely took the edge off. "It has to be a virus."

"I don't know, H. If it's a virus, it's a stubborn one," Gemma commented. "Would you be willing to take a pregnancy test, just to see?"

"It can't be that," Harry insisted. "It can't be." If he said it enough, it would be true.

"Then taking a test won't hurt anything," his sister reasoned.

With a sigh, Harry agreed. "Fine."

"I'll run to the Tesco and get one," Gemma stated, not wasting any time. "Will you be okay here while I go?"

"I think I can manage," Harry answered wryly. "Pay for someone's groceries while you're there!"

With a grin, Gemma responded, "Will do."

Once Gemma had left, Harry hovered over the toilet until he was sure there was nothing else for him to expel from his body. He brushed his teeth and moved up to the front of the flat. He made some tea in the kitchen, then retired to the sofa in the lounge to await his sister's return.

She must have sped to and through the Tesco, because he had not been on the sofa very long before she was back, a plastic bag in hand. Standing in front of the coffee table, she showed him three long, thin boxes.

"Three?" Harry questioned.

"You want to be sure, right?"

"I am. I can't be pregnant." He still figured he might will it so.

Back down the hall, Gemma stood just outside the bathroom and read the directions to Harry. He peed on all three sticks, lining them up side by side on the counter. Then he sat on the side of his bed next to Gemma to wait the three interminable minutes it would take for the test results to be ready. They didn't say a word. Inside his head, Harry just kept up the mantra. _I can't be pregnant. I can't be pregnant. I can't be pregnant._

When the alarm on Gemma's phone told them time was up, Harry told her, "You check."

"You sure?" 

"I can't do it. You check."

"Okay," she said, though she still sounded leery.

Harry watched as she disappeared into the bathroom. It only took her about ten seconds to return. He stared right at her, willing her to give him the results he needed. "Well?"

She offered him a sympathetic smile. His stomach fell. She held up one stick at a time and spoke slowly. "Positive. Positive. Positive."

Harry closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. What was he going to do now?

Gemma sat next to him and put a gentle arm over his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, H."

There was no point in trying to hide his anxiety from her. She knew him way too well. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Have you only been sleeping with one guy?" Gemma asked, keeping her voice non-accusatory. "Do you know who the other father is?"

Harry didn't even have it in him to be insulted that she thought he might be sleeping around. He just nodded. "I do."

"Who is it?"

Harry pitched his voice low. "Prince Louis. The other father is Prince Louis."

* * *

_Can we meet?_

Harry's text came as Louis was climbing into a vehicle to head for an engagement--a meet and greet at a local veteran's hospital. Once Louis was seated and the car was underway, he could respond.

**Sure. Can you come by tonight around 6? I can have Liam order in some dinner.**

_I'll be there at 6._

Louis was a little perplexed by the curt texts. Usually Harry was funny and clever--or at least seemed to believe he was--but neither of these texts hit anywhere close to that mark. He hoped nothing was wrong, but he put it to the back of his mind to focus on his appearance at the hospital and making sure the military vets knew how much their service was appreciated.

On the way to his final engagement for the day, an outing to an afterschool program for disadvantaged children, he worked out a plan with Liam to have food brought in right around the time Harry was supposed to meet Louis at the cottage. They decided on Italian, which Louis decided was appropriately romantic.

Louis arrived home at five-thirty, giving him just enough time to shower and change into something more casual. He had found that Harry was much more relaxed when Louis wore more everyday clothes, as opposed to the suits he often had to wear for appearances and meetings.

The food Liam had ordered arrived five minutes before Harry was due, and it smelled amazing as the caterers set everything up in the dining room.

Harry was right on time, and as Louis ushered him inside, he couldn't help but notice Harry's pinched face. Louis led the way into the lounge, where they sat side-by-side on the sofa.

"I had some Italian brought in for us," Louis explained, though he was sure Harry could tell that by the smell. It was wafting in from the dining room and it was amazing. "I hope that appeals."

Harry shrugged, then asked, "So, we're not alone?"

"Not yet, but I imagine they must be close to done setting up. It's just a dinner for two. Shall I see how they're doing?" Louis went ahead and stood, anticipating Harry answering in the positive.

Exactly as expected, Harry said, "Please."

The caterers were, indeed, finishing up when Louis went to check on them. He thanked them and told them he would take care of the clean up before showing them the door.

Upon his return to the lounge, he announced, "We're alone now." He reclaimed his seat on the sofa, facing Harry directly, arguing with himself about whether or not to reach for Harry's hand. He decided to wait on that until he had more information. "Would I be wrong if I assumed something's going on?"

Harry shook his head. "You would not."

"I know we haven't known each other but for a few months, but I hope you know you can trust me," Louis tried to reassure Harry, put him at ease. He very much wanted Harry to see him as a confidant, just as he saw Harry in that capacity.

This time, Harry nodded. "I do." He paused for a moment. "I just don't know how to start."

"Take your time," Louis urged. "Do you want to try to talk before we eat or eat after we talk?"

"Is it okay if we wait to eat? I just want to get this out," Harry told him, looking away. "You may not even want me to stay after I tell you what I have to tell you."

Harry's words sunk like stones in Louis' stomach. He couldn't imagine Harry telling him anything so bad that it made Louis kick him out. Even if Harry told him he had outed Harry to _The Guardian_ , Louis did not think he would feel the need to send him away. Mistakes happened.

Louis sought out Harry's gaze. It took a moment, but Harry eventually looked back up at him. "You can tell me anything, Harry. I can't even imagine what you think is so bad."

Harry hauled in a deep breath, then blurted out his news as if he couldn't hold it in any longer. "I'm pregnant."

Sure he must have misunderstood, Louis turned so his ear was closer to Harry's mouth. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm pregnant," Harry repeated, clearing up any confusion, at least about what he'd said.

Louis needed a moment to process this statement. As he did, he was aware of Harry watching carefully for Louis' reaction. He seemed poised to flee. Louis voiced the first of many questions. "You're a carrier?"

"I am," Harry confirmed. In a small voice, he added, "I should have told you."

Working hard not to let an ounce of accusation seep into his tone, Louis inquired, "Why didn't you?"

Harry sighed. "I thought there was no need to. Not yet, anyway. We were being so careful. I didn't imagine I would be able to conceive."

"Condoms are supposed to be ninety-eight percent effective," Louis recited something he'd learned at school.

"Guess we used the two percent ineffective ones," Harry lamented.

They both fell silent. Louis couldn't even imagine what Harry was thinking. Louis didn't even know what to think. When he had entered into this relationship with Harry--one he couldn't put a label to yet--it had never occurred to him that it would come with a pregnancy. He wanted children one day. In fact, as the heir to the throne, it was expected he would. It was also expected that he would have those children with a woman, as decreed by law.

"I'm so sorry," Harry whispered, interrupting Louis' tumbling thoughts.

Louis risked reaching out to lay a hand on Harry's knee. He shook his head. "No, you don't have to apologise. This is as much on me as it is you. I have to ask, though…. Are you sure?"

"I took three of those at-home tests, and I went to my doctor to have him check," Harry told him. Thankfully, he didn't seem offended that Louis would check the veracity of his announcement. "I'm two months along, due in January."

"Does anyone else know?" Louis inquired next.

"Other than the doctor, just my sister," Harry replied. "She's cool. She won't tell anyone."

"Does she know it's mine?" Louis suspected the answer would be yes. He would tell Lottie everything about something as serious as this.

Harry confirmed Louis' suspicion. "Yes. I didn't want to lie to her."

"I don't blame you," Louis assured him.

Harry heaved a shaky sigh. "What do you want to do? I know you're expected to have heirs after you're married and with a woman."

"That is the law," Louis concurred. "There's never been a need for another one."

For a short moment, Harry became silent again. He gasped a moment later, meeting Louis' gaze with determined eyes, his hands flying to his stomach. "I don't think I can get rid of it."

Louis was horrified that Harry would even think of this. With a firm shake of his head, Louis stated, "I wouldn't dream of asking you to. We'll figure something out." Even as he was saying the words, Louis knew that they would. There really wasn't an option.

Harry shuddered and sighed again.

When Harry said nothing, Louis wanted to know, "What are you thinking?"

"I just can't believe this is happening," Harry revealed.

"It's certainly not what I imagined when you texted me you wanted to meet up," Louis said.

Out of the blue, Louis recalled that they had dinner sitting in the other room. "Why don't we eat something? I know eating always makes me feel better."

"I'm not sure I can eat, but I'll try," Harry promised.

Louis stood first, then offered Harry a hand up. He kept a hold of Harry's hand as he led him into the dining room. Harry's eyes grew wide as they took in the sumptuous meal laid out on the long, wooden table.

"I had them bring lasagne, ziti, and rigatoni," Louis explained. "They may not be piping hot anymore, but we can make plates and microwave them."

Harry looked at him with surprise in his eyes. "You have a microwave? How did I never notice this?"

Louis gave a little chuckle. "I am royal, not a heathen."

Before Louis could reach for a plate, Harry reached out a hand and touched Louis' forearm. Louis turned his head to meet Harry's gaze. He raised his eyebrows in question.

"Thank you," Harry said, his voice unutterably serious.

"For what?"

"For taking this a lot better than I thought you might. For saying we'd figure this out together. For not asking if it's yours," Harry listed his what fors.

"I never for a second thought it wasn't," Louis insisted. 

Harry exhaled slowly, still sounding a little shaky, but getting better. Louis used the moment to flip his hand under Harry's and entwining their fingers.

"We're in this together, Harry. I promise." He squeezed Harry's hand more tightly. "I promise."

* * *

If there had ever been a conversation Louis had dreaded more, he certainly couldn't remember it. Nevertheless, this was a conversation he could not avoid. He had to tell his mother that Harry was pregnant with Louis' child. He imagined this would be a hard thing to tell any mother who wasn't expecting it, but his mother was the Queen. Her title made this exponentially harder.

Louis contacted his mother's assistant, Heidi, himself, and got an appointment. Normally, his mother didn't mind if he just showed up to visit, but he wanted to make sure she was available when he showed up.

He had considered asking Harry to be with him to share the news, but upon second thought, he'd decided that might be quite intimidating for Harry--meeting the Queen, then telling her he was pregnant with her son's baby, all at the same time. It would hopefully be at least a little easier if Harry met her with the big news already out there.

He took a day to process everything, though that was tricky to do given all of his obligations. Throughout the day, he texted Harry just as they'd been doing, trying to keep things as normal as possible when nothing was normal.

Not needing another full day to be anxious about talking to his mum, Louis had arranged for a breakfast meeting with her. He'd made it clear to Heidi that it needed to be a private meeting. Eventually, he would have to tell his siblings what was happening, but one person at a time was plenty.

His mum wasn't a tyrant about punctuality, but Louis still arrived at her residence ten minutes early. Heidi showed him to the dining room, asking him general questions Louis got to answer without giving away any of the upheaval Harry's news had precipitated. 

A small breakfast buffet was set out on a sideboard, but Louis just poured himself a cup of tea while he waited for his mum to come.

She entered the dining room not long after he did. "Louis! Good morning!?" She spread out her arms for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning, Mum," he returned.

"Shall we get food, then get down to your business?" she suggested.

"Sure."

Louis loved more things about his mother than he could count. One of them was her lack of airs. There were, of course, occasions when she let others serve her meals, but at family gatherings, she was insistent that she could serve herself. So, she put a plate together for herself before Louis did the same.

After pouring a cup of tea for his mum, Louis freshened his own up.

They ate quietly for a moment, then his mother asked, "So, how are you doing?"

Louis smiled softly, swallowing a piece of bacon. "I'm okay. All things considered."

"All things considered?" his mum repeated.

Louis sighed. He knew he needed to get this over with, but he had hoped to put it off with a little small talk. Sometimes, he forgot how good his mother was at getting right to the point. It was a trait that made her a good queen.

He put down his fork and met her gaze directly. "I have something I have to talk to you about."

"All right," she allowed, offering him an encouraging smile.

Now that the moment was upon him, Louis was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

His mum reached out and touched the back of his hand where it rested on his thigh. "You know you can tell me anything, don't you? I may be the queen, but first and foremost, I am your mother."

With a nod, Louis told her, "I know. That doesn't make this any easier."

"Take your time. Heidi blocked us off two hours, and she knows we're not to be disturbed unless it's an emergency," she informed him.

"Okay." Louis pulled in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "I guess I should start by telling you I've met someone."

She raised her eyebrows. "What's he like?"

Louis couldn't believe her ears. "He?"

"Am I wrong? Is it not a he?" his mother asked.

"You know." It was not a question.

The smile she gave him was full of understanding. "I do. It's a mother's job to know her children."

Though Lottie--and probably Fizzy, too--knew Louis was gay, he had never brought it up with his mother. He hadn't wanted to risk her being disappointed. Besides, not telling her gave her plausible deniability. He had dated women in the past, wanting to conform, not completely sure of himself. Once he'd realised that wasn't going to work, he'd kept his dalliances with men a secret. Apparently in vain.

"How long have you known?" he wanted to know.

"A long time," she answered. "I was waiting for you to feel comfortable coming to tell me. I wanted you to do that in your own time, not mine."

He hung his head. "I'm sorry I kept it from you."

She reached over and put a finger under his chin, lifting his head. "No apologies, Louis. Now, tell me about him."

Just bringing Harry to mind made Louis smile. "His name is Harry. Harry Styles."

"And what is Harry like?" his mother prompted.

"He's incredibly sweet. He works two jobs. One is at a bakery, and he other is running a charity," Louis told her, proud to let her know that the man he was interested in was someone who truly cared for others.

"Oh! Is he with the charity you've been doing work for?" his mum said, putting two and two together.

"Yes, he co-founded it with his best friend, Niall," he confirmed.

"That's wonderful. How long have you been seeing each other?" His mother took a bite of toast as she awaited his response.

"We met just over two months ago." Louis took a sip of tea. "We felt very connected right from the start. Once he stopped thinking of me as Prince Louis, he was very easy to talk to and be with."

"He sounds wonderful," his mum commented. "I look forward to meeting him."

While his mother was focused on her eggs, Louis sucked in a breath, puffing it out in little bursts. It was time for the second big announcement of the day. His mum might have already figured out he was gay, but this next part…this would be a total surprise. "So," he said slowly. "There's more."

"More?" She most definitely wasn't ready for what Louis was about to tell her.

He could put it off no longer. "Harry's pregnant."

Louis wasn't especially thrilled about checking his mother's reaction to this news, but he knew he had no real choice. She appeared stunned. Meeting his gaze, she reiterated what he'd just said. "He's pregnant?"

He nodded. "We thought we were being careful, but apparently, we weren't quite careful enough." As he'd imagined, having this conversation was more uncomfortable than any he'd ever had.

"Did you know he was a carrier?" his mum inquired.

Louis shook his head. "He didn't tell me."

She paused for a moment of thought, then she had another question. "He knows about the law?"

"He does," Louis replied. "He feels horrible about putting me in this position."

After another brief silence, she said, "I know you're aware that this is not the most ideal situation."

"I am," he told her.

"And you're committed to Harry? Or want to be committed to Harry?"

"I am. I do."

"All right. Louis, I want you to know that we'll figure this out," she went on. "There may be some hoops, and there may be some more awkward conversations, but things will work out. We'll make them."

"Are you sure?" He needed to be sure he was hearing her correctly.

"I'm positive."

Not even thinking twice, Louis popped up out of his chair and moved to throw his arms around his mother. "Thank you, Mum," he whispered in her ear. "Thank you so much."

"We'll make it work," she whispered back. "I promise."

* * *

While Louis was breaking the news to his mother--the Queen; the Queen would know he was pregnant--Harry decided to take a day off from both his jobs and take a visit to his own mum's. It was time to let her in on the news that he was dating Prince Louis and, also, having his baby. He was looking forward to half of that conversation.

Since he wasn't sleeping well anyway, Harry got up early and got the first train from Victoria Station going north. He got an Uber to his mother's house, arriving mid-morning, with plenty of time for a good visit.

Harry had called his mum the night before, so she was waiting in the kitchen with some tea and toast when he arrived. After hugs and kisses, they sat down with cups of steaming tea to catch up.

"Are you sure you don't want any breakfast?" his mother checked, poised to get up and cook him something.

"I had a sausage roll on the train. I'll be fine until lunch," he assured her. "I will take a piece of toast, though." He picked up one of the triangles she had cut just the way he liked it, spread some raspberry jam on it, then bit into the corner.

"So, how's everything going? Work good?" his mum opened the conversation, sipping at her tea.

He nodded. "The bakery is…the bakery. Kindness is doing amazing. The prince agreeing to be our patron and doing these videos and things for the website has really helped. We're getting more donations and more volunteers."

His mother smiled. "I'm so glad. I thought when you said he was coming to help that it was a really good idea."

"I'm glad we moved into the bigger space, since we now have more room for all the donations we're getting," Harry went on, well aware that he was putting off the inevitable.

He should have guessed his mum would force his hand. "Not that I don't love for you to visit, but it's unusual for you to come in the middle of the week. Is there something going on?"

Harry slowly blew out some air, then started with the piece of news he knew would tickle his mum. "So, you remember when we spoke before I met with Louis the first time?"

She chuckled before he could go on. "Oh, it's _Louis_ now, is it?"

The heat in his cheeks was expected, though earlier in the conversation than Harry had hoped. "He asked me to call him Louis."

With a smirk, she urged him to, "Go on."

Harry struggled with exactly how to do that. In the end, he settled on, "We kind of…connected."

"What does that mean?" his mum wondered aloud. She was clearly not going to let him get away with being vague.

He decided on short, sweet, and to the point. "We're seeing each other."

She pointed a finger at him. "I told you to just let it happen, if that's what was going on."

"You were right," he admitted.

"So, he really is gay?" she checked, though Harry thought it a little unnecessary.

"I've misunderstood something along the way if he isn't," Harry joked.

"Is it serious, the two of you?" his mum asked. "Is that why you're here telling me you're seeing him?"

Harry coughed to clear his throat, giving himself a few seconds. "It is pretty serious, yeah."

She smiled widely and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I'm very happy for you, baby."

He forced a smile, since he knew that's what she expected. His mother knew him too well, though, and her very next words were, "What is it? There's something else, isn't there?"

He sighed heavily. Here was the part she wasn't going to be tickled about. "There is."

"I know I don't have to tell you that you can tell me anything." She met his gaze, her eyes as serious as her tone. "There isn't anything you can say that would make me love you even an ounce less."

Harry nodded. "I know."

As she always did, his mum gave him room to decide how best to say what he needed to say. He pulled in a few deep breaths, then decided to just go ahead and put it out there. "I'm pregnant."

His mother's eyes opened wide, as Harry held his breath awaiting her reaction. It took her a moment to process what he'd just told her, then she stood up and guided him into a hug. He let her squeeze him for a while before he would let her go.

Once they'd sat back down, his mum asked, "I assume the baby is Louis'?"

"It is," he answered succinctly.

"Does he know?" she continued her line of questioning.

"He does," Harry assured her. "He's telling his mum today, too."

"You mean the Queen," his mother corrected, her tone a little wry.

"Yes, the Queen." Just saying it made his stomach tie in knots. He was trying hard not to imagine the Queen's reaction to the news that she was going to be a grandmother in a way that no one had intended.

"So, have you and Louis made any decisions about the baby?" 

"Only that I'm going to have the baby, and we're going to figure out how it's going to work with him being…."

"The crown prince?" she finished for him.

"That," he concurred.

His mum stopped for a moment to think. Harry was grateful for the moment, using it to sip at his now-only-vaguely-warm tea. Ever since finding out he was pregnant, so many questions had started swirling in his head. There were brief periods of time when he could shove them to the back of his mind, but this wasn't one of those periods of time. He had so many questions, and so many of the answers were completely out of his hands.

"Honey," his mother pulled him back to the present, "I want you to know that no matter what happens, I am on your side. I look forward to meeting Louis and the rest of his family, but I'm here for you, and I will support you, whatever decisions you make."

Harry couldn't help but smile. "I love you, Mum."

"I love you, too, sweet boy." She leaned over once again to kiss his cheek. "We're going to get you through this."

"You're okay with the idea of being a grandmother?" he checked, though he was fairly certain he already knew the answer to this question.

She grinned widely. "I will spoil that baby within an inch of its life. I know Gemma will be excited to learn she's going to be an aunt."

Harry cleared his throat. "She already knows, actually. It was Gemma who figured out what was going on. She got the tests, and she stayed with me when I took them."

Instead of being perturbed that Gemma knew first, all his mother said was, "I am so glad you two are there for each other."

"Me, too."

"So, you'll stay a little longer today?" his mum changed the subject.

"I will. I'll get a train back in the late afternoon."

"Then you need to get a nap, and I need to make us a good lunch. How does that sound?"

"That sounds really good. I haven't exactly been sleeping well," Harry confessed.

"Get right upstairs, then." His mother stood, and Harry followed suit. "I'll wake you when lunch is ready."

Harry wrapped his arms around her first. "Thanks, Mum. For everything."

"You are absolutely welcome."

* * *

The day after they told their respective mothers about their big news items, Louis invited Harry to the cottage to start making some plans. He knew any changes his mother was able to put in place would take time, but there was a baby coming who wouldn't be at all concerned with that particular timetable.

Having sent Liam off on an errand, it was Louis who opened the door to let Harry in when he arrived. Harry appeared to be a little pale, but he still had wits about him enough to joke, "Did you fire Liam?"

"Ha ha." Louis grinned. "No, but I did send him away for a bit so we could be alone."

"That's very thoughtful," Harry commented.

Louis closed the door behind Harry and then greeted him with a chaste kiss. "Come on in to the lounge. I made us tea for while we talk."

"You made tea _and_ opened the door?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure you didn't fire Liam?"

With a roll of his eyes, Louis answered, "I didn't. I swear."

Harry followed Louis into the lounge, where they sat on the sofa and made themselves cups of tea. Louis had even remember to make Harry's herbal, in deference to his pregnancy.

After taking a sip of his tea, Louis asked, "So, how are you feeling?"

Harry sipped at his own tea before replying, "I'm feeling okay. Still nauseated at times, but  
the doctor told me that should taper off as I get into my second trimester."

"That's good." Louis took another sip of tea. "I know you said in your text that things went okay with your mum…." He left the sentence open-ended, hoping Harry would elaborate.

Harry acquiesced, nodding. "She took all the news pretty well, particularly the news that you and I are seeing each other."

Louis couldn't help but chuckle. "She likes that you managed to bag a prince?"

"Well, you are quite a catch," Harry commented, also chuckling.

"How does she feel about becoming a grandmother?" Louis continued his questioning.

"I think she's okay with it," Harry said. "Even if she wasn't quite expecting it."

"That's good." Louis snagged a biscuit from the tray he'd brought out with the tea.

"How did things go with the Queen…er, your mum?" Though Louis had also texted that things had been good with his mother, Harry wanted to know more.

"She had already figured out I was gay, so that wasn't a surprise. I probably shouldn't have thought it would be," Louis confessed. "She was interested to hear about you, and she was definitely caught off guard by the news that you're…expecting."

"How unhappy was she with that part?" Harry inquired, wincing.

"Like your mum, she was surprised, but I think she'll get used to the idea," Louis predicted. "After all, she expected to become a grandmother at some point. Just not from her gay son's boyfriend."

Harry met his gaze, eyes widened in astonishment. "Boyfriend?"

Louis offered him a soft smile. "Is that okay? It's how I've been thinking of you."

Smiling back at Louis, Harry said, "You know, for someone who I've known about since literally before I can remember, you are a constant surprise."

"Is that a good thing?" Louis checked.

Harry's smile grew wider. "It's a very good thing. It's one of many things I like about you."

"There are many things?" Louis genuinely wanted the list.

Luckily, Harry understood that Louis wasn't teasing him. "Of course there are. You're kind, you're generous, you're funny, you're gorgeous. I could go on."

Louis could feel his cheeks heating up. "Thank you. You're all those things, too."

Harry's cheeks soon matched Louis'.

"So," Louis went on, "you're okay with being referred to as my boyfriend?"

"I think I can handle that," Harry responded. He leaned forward to claim a sweet kiss from Louis.

When they parted, Louis couldn't help himself, and he whispered, "I love you."

Harry backed up quickly, looking at Louis with amazement for the second time in just a few minutes. "You do?"

"I do," Louis assured him. He placed a hand on Harry's thigh. "And before you ask, I fell in love with you before I knew you were pregnant. If I'm being truly honest, I think I started to fall for you the day we met."

Harry's smile returned, soft as he said, "I'm in love with you, too. And before you ask, I'm pretty sure I fell the day we met, too."

The kiss they shared following these revelations was less sweet and more passionate than the one they'd shared moments ago. It was a kiss filled with hope and the promise of a bright future, and it left them breathless.

This time when they parted, they needed several seconds to compose themselves. Harry was the first to recover. "Okay, what do we do now?"

Louis blew out a puff of air and sought just the right words. "Well, my mother will try to handle things with the Prime Minister, but even assuming she can get the laws changed so my heir can be born from a man, we'll still have to be married for him or her to be legitimate. So, that begs a certain question."

"A certain question?"

Even though Harry seemed a little wary. Louis forged ahead. "Will you marry me?"

* * *

"Will you marry me?"

Harry decided he was hearing things. Of course, he'd heard the part where Louis mentioned that they would need to be married for the baby to be a legitimate heir, but certainly Louis hadn't followed that up by popping the question. That was surreal. Being proposed to by the crown prince was surreal.

"Excuse me?" Harry requested. Certainly, he had missed what Louis really said.

"Will you marry me?"

So, he hadn't misheard after all.

He had, however, clearly made Louis nervous. "Harry? Please say something."

"Are you sure?" 

The look on Louis' face told Harry that was not quite the response he had expected. Nevertheless, Louis ploughed on. "I am absolutely positive."

Harry was beside himself. Louis was really, truly asking Harry to marry him. There was only one answer to give. "Yes."

The worry on Louis' face melted away. "You will?" he confirmed. "You'll marry me?"

"Yes," Harry repeated. For good measure, he added, "I will."

The kiss they shared this time was all about love and the excitement of spending their lives together. When they parted, Harry wondered aloud, "Is this really happening? Am I really engaged to the Prince of Wales?"

"I'm the Prince of the entirety of the United Kingdom, actually," Louis corrected grandly, a mischievous smile on his face. "Not to mention the rest of the Commonwealth."

Harry lightly slapped Louis' upper arm, grinning all the while. "Don't be cheeky."

Louis' smile softened. "Yes, you're really engaged to the Prince of Wales."

They kissed once more before Harry gave voice to a thought he'd had earlier. "This is so surreal."

"But in a good way, right?" Louis checked.

"Absolutely," Harry assured him. "So, what happens next?"

With a shrug, Louis answered, "I guess we plan a wedding."

"Do we need to do a big, televised thing?" Harry asked, shuddering at the thought.

"You don't want millions of people watching you say your vows?" Louis countered, smirking.

"Not really," Harry answered. "I mean, I get it, people are interested in you. They've been watching everything you've done since you were born. They'd love to watch you get married. I just think that weddings should be a little more personal. Just you and your spouse-to-be and family and close friends."

"That might be better in this instance anyway," Louis admitted. "It'll take my mother some time to work out the laws with the Prime Minister. By the time she does, it could be very close to when the baby's due. You won't need the stress of a wedding then, and if we get married after the baby's here, that looks…not good."

"I don't want to get married when I'm as big as a house anyway," Harry added.

"When do you think you'll start to show, by the way?" Louis wondered aloud. "I never asked."

"The doctor says somewhere between three and four months along," Harry reported. "So, anywhere in the next two to six weeks."

Louis' eyes widened almost comically. "Yikes! That's soon."

Harry placed a hand on his stomach. "You're telling me."

"So, we should be planning something soon, then," Louis concluded.

"I guess we should," Harry agreed.

Louis sipped at his tea, making a face that told Harry it was probably closer to cold than hot. He was smiling as he put his cup back down. "I'm so excited to be getting to marry you."

"Me, too," Harry returned with a matching smile.

"In the morning, we can sit down with Liam and get the plans underway," Louis suggested.

"I can't wait."

* * *

It turned out Liam was a whiz at wedding planning. He confessed to Louis and Harry that he had at one point considered working as a wedding planner and had even done an internship with a wedding planner in Sloane Square before he'd gotten hired onto the palace staff.

Louis and Harry wanted to keep things small. Just immediate family and a few close friends. Liam was able to book a small chapel that promised they could keep things quiet, and he ordered flowers, hired a photographer, and arranged a modest reception at the hall adjacent to the chapel. He also personally called everyone on the short invitation list. 

The wedding would be three weeks after Louis' proposal. Harry would be just a week into his second trimester, so the hope was that he wouldn't be showing by then, and even if he was, his bump would be very small.

Louis and Harry each had the job of letting their respective invited family and friends in on Harry's pregnancy. To a person, they were all surprised (less the Queen, Harry's mum, Anne, and his sister, Gemma, since they'd already been clued in), but they were happy for Louis and Harry. Even more important, they were fine being sworn to secrecy.

A designer was hired to create custom suits for Harry and Louis, and the palace kitchen staff would take care of the food and the cake. It was all a lovely whirlwind, and the days flew by, filled with appointments and swift decisions that needed to be made.

The best news came about three days before the ceremony. That was when the Queen told Louis that she'd like to officiate the wedding, if Louis and Harry wanted her to, of course. Louis was overjoyed by the idea of being married by his mother, and Harry happily agreed. It would make a special day that much more special.

On the day before they were to be wed, Louis invited Harry over for breakfast. They both had last-minute fittings that day, plus a rehearsal in the afternoon, followed by a light supper with family. Louis wanted to make sure Harry was handling the stress well.

While Louis sipped at some Earl Grey, Harry was sipping at his now-traditional herbal tea. His morning sickness had abated in just the last week or so, but the herbal tea his mother had suggested was still a comfort, so Louis had continued to keep it handy.

"How are you feeling today?" Louis opened the conversation, lifting a piece of toast from the platter between then.

"Other than wildly nervous about the next thirty-six hours or so, I'm fine," Harry replied, offering Louis a dimpled smile. "How about you?"

"The same," Louis said.

"No second thoughts?" Harry wanted to know.

Louis shook his head. "Not a single one. You?"

"None here," Harry echoed.

Louis took a bite of his eggs, chewing them carefully before saying, "You know what we have never discussed?"

"What?" Harry plucked a piece of bacon from its platter.

"Where we're going to live after we're married," Louis revealed. "I can't believe this hasn't come up."

"Well, we have been kind of busy planning a wedding," Harry reminded him. "Anyway, my assumption had been that I would move in here."

"That does make sense," Louis commented. "Are you all right with that?"

Harry nodded amiably. "Sure. I don't have all that much in my flat. I can put the furniture in storage and bring the rest of my things here."

Louis sighed with relief. "That was easy."

"The only thing is…will we be allowed to turn one of the rooms upstairs into a nursery?" Harry inquired.

"I don't see why not," Louis replied. "I was allowed to redecorate the master suite before I moved in. I'll have Liam check with the property department to be sure."

"As long as that's allowed, then I would be happy to move in here. It only makes sense," Harry went on. "My flat is small, and I have no backyard and no real security. Your place is big, you have a lovely yard, and you have wonderful security."

"Okay, then. We'll get on making that move when we get back from our honeymoon," Louis decided.

"Which is to where again?" Harry asked blithely.

Louis smirked. "Oh no. You still think you're being sneaky, but it won't work. I'm still keeping it a secret. Liam will be over in the morning to fetch you and pack your bags accordingly."

Louis had insisted on planning the entire honeymoon. He'd asked for assistance from Liam, of course, but wanted no input from Harry. He wanted it to be a total surprise. He was pretty sure Harry would love what he'd planned. Though Harry had tried to pry the destination out of Louis several times, Louis had managed to keep it quiet for the entire three weeks they'd been engaged. He wasn't going to give it up now.

Harry sighed. "Fine. Keep your secrets."

Liam entered the room at this point. "Your Highness, Mr. Styles, your fittings are in forty-five minutes. The car to drive you there will arrive in twenty minutes."

"I guess we'd best finish breakfast, then," Louis said.

"Indeed," Harry agreed.

Louis set about cleaning his plate. He needed all the energy he could to get though the long, joyous day ahead of them.

* * *

The early morning sun streaming through his bedroom window woke Harry when the LED on his bedside table read 7:47. As he stretched out, trying to decide if he was ready to get up, he had an inkling there was something big going on that day. After a moment of thought, it hit him. He was getting married. 

That afternoon, he would be joined in holy matrimony with His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Wales. He found he was definitely ready to get up.

He fixed himself a cup of his trusty herbal tea and sat down to check his phone. He had texts from his mum and his sister reminding him they would be there at nine a.m. to help him get ready. He had an e-mail from Liam with a quick list of the important times for the day. The very most important one read: **_12:00 noon: Ceremony._** And, finally, he had an IM from Louis. **I can't wait until you're my husband.**

Harry already felt butterflies, though he couldn't be sure whether it was nerves or the baby, to be honest. He put his hand on his stomach, right over where his son or daughter was growing. "Today's a big day, peanut. Your father and I are getting married. You and I will be all official, then."

 _I can't wait until you're *my* husband_ , he sent back to Louis.

The butterflies made breakfast pretty unappealing, but he knew he needed to eat something or he was risking passing out on his own wedding day. He decided on a bowl of cereal and a piece of toast. He got through about three-quarters of both, then decided that was good enough.

He scrolled through his phone a little bit more, stopping when his screen said it was 8:34. His mum and sister would not be late, so he jumped in the shower so he'd be ready for their primping of him once they arrived.

Not yet ready to jump right into his suit, Harry threw on some trackies and an old band t-shirt, combing his wet curls back just as his doorbell rang.

As predicted, his mum and sister were right on time, taking turns hugging him and wishing him a happy wedding day.

They all sat around the kitchen table to have what it seemed was the second cup of tea for all of them.

"Are you ready to become Prince Louis' husband?" Gemma inquired, cheeky as ever.

"I'm ready to be his husband," Harry responded, "but I am very nervous about all the steps to becoming his husband."

"You're going to be just fine," his mum assured him. "Everything's been planned, the only people there will be people you already know, and by tonight, it will be a sweet memory to hold onto."

Harry nodded. "Liam has our schedule down to the minute, so you’re right about the planning being taken care of." He opened his phone and pulled up Liam's earlier e-mail. "A car will be here to get us at 11:15 on the dot to take us over to the house connected to the chapel."

Gemma checked her own mobile. "That gives us just about two hours to get you ready."

"If I can't get into my suit and tame my hair in that time, there's no hope for me," Harry declared.

"You make a good point," Gemma said. "We have plenty of time for a third cuppa, don't you think?"

After they'd each partaken of a leisurely third cup of tea, Gemma took care of Harry's hair while his mum prepped his suit. When his hair met Gemma's high standards, he carefully put on his suit. It was the first custom suit he'd ever owned, and he didn't want to do anything which might rip, tear, or otherwise damage it before he could even walk down the aisle.

His mother and sister both cried when he stood in front of them in his beautiful black suit, matched with a crisp white shirt, black loafers, and a black silk tie.

"I can't believe my baby's getting married," his mother said through her tears.

"To the Prince of Wales!" Gemma clarified. "He's marrying the Prince of Wales."

"Because I got knocked up by the Prince of Wales," Harry added with a wry smile. "Let's not forget that part."

"Tosh!" his mother exclaimed. "He would have married you anyway. Don't forget that we've seen the way he looks at you." Indeed, they had gotten a front-row seat to Louis' affectionate gaze on both of the occasions where they had met Louis.

Harry felt a familiar heat rise into his cheeks. 

"He's proper besotted," Gemma insisted. "Mum's absolutely right. It wouldn't have mattered whether you got pregnant or not, he'd have eventually asked you to marry him."

Given their instant connection, Harry suspected his mother and sister were correct.

They spent the time left until the car arrived watching the tag end of _The Notebook_ , Harry's favourite romantic movie, which was completely randomly playing the morning of his nuptials.

The car came at 11:15, just as Liam had dictated, and it whisked Harry, his mum, and Gemma to the little cottage situated right next to the chapel where Harry would wed Louis. They were met there by Harry's step-father, Robin, and a colleague of Liam's, someone else from the palace staff called Claire. She would be Harry's assistant for the day, making sure he got from place to place on time.

Harry had been assigned to one of the rooms on the second floor of the cottage. Louis was in a room on the first floor, but Harry wasn't, of course, allowed to see him.

"You look terrific, Harry," Robin said once they were ensconced in the room. "Are you excited?"

"Excited and extremely nervous," Harry replied.

"The royal family had it planned, so at least you don't have to worry about it not going smoothly," Robin commented.

"That is true," Harry agreed. "All I have to be nervous about is getting my part right."

"You will, baby," his mother interjected. "I haven't a doubt in my mind."

There wasn't much time between Harry being escorted to the room on the second floor and Claire taking a call and telling them it was time for Harry to take his position at the end of the aisle.

They had agreed that Louis would fill the traditional role of waiting with the officiant--his mother in this case--while Harry walked down the aisle toward him. He would walk with his mum, though she wouldn't be giving him away.

Robin and Gemma kissed him and wished him luck before going to find their seats near the front. His mum stayed with him, a calming presence when he was in a state of high anxiety.

Louis' youngest siblings--twins Ernest and Doris--preceded Harry down the aisle. They were four years old and outfitted in a tiny suit and a lemon yellow dress, respectively. They were as precious as could be, and the small congregation oohed and ahhed at them as they walked hand in hand to the front of the chapel.

Once the twins had met their nanny at the end of the aisle, Harry kissed his mother on the cheek, then crooked his elbow for her hand. Slowly, they made their way in Ernest and Doris' wake. As Harry walked forward, he was able to lock gazes with Louis, seeing him for the first time that day.

Louis was stunning. He was the very picture of a prince. His suit was immaculate. It was black, as Harry's was, but it was cut in a slightly different style. He wore a white shirt, too, but his tie was a navy blue. His hair was swept to the side, and he'd shaved his beard close. The look in Louis' eyes was one of pure love.

It powered Harry down the aisle.

* * *

Harry looked absolutely amazing. Louis couldn't take his eyes off his husband-to-be. He sent a thumbs up to his youngest siblings using his peripheral vision and just had to hope they caught it.

Harry was resplendent in his dark suit. He'd been so tickled to have a custom suit made for him. He'd been worried that he would start to show and the suit wouldn't fit, but at the final fitting he'd only needed the suit let out a tiny bit. Almost all of the people in the chapel knew Harry was pregnant, but if one didn't know, they wouldn't have figured it out by looking at Harry in his suit.

As Harry walked his mother slowly down the aisle, Louis was able to meet his gaze. He smiled softly at Harry, and Harry sent a smile back. Louis would do anything in the world for that smile. It should be scary, feeling that way about someone he hadn't known for very long, but he felt that way nonetheless.

When Harry and Anne reached the end of the aisle, Harry kissed her cheek, then she walked to sit next to her husband. Harry moved to stand in front of Louis.

"Hi," Harry whispered so quietly Louis wasn't sure if he heard him or read his lips.

"Hi," Louis whispered back. "You look amazing."

"You do, too."

Louis' mother gently cleared her throat, and Louis and Harry turned their attention to her. She looked amazing, too, but that wasn't at all surprising. She wore her signature blue in the form of a smart navy blue suit. It was a regal look, but not one that overshadowed the men of the hour.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his mum began. "We are gathered here today in a celebration of love. It is my honour to join in holy matrimony my son, Louis, and his groom, Harry."

Louis let her words wash over him, paying more attention to Harry at his side than to what his mother was saying. Harry watched her intently, taking in everything she was saying, looking over at Louis every once and again with adoration and joy. Louis could not have loved him more.

When it was Louis' turn, he pledged his love and honour to Harry, and when it was Harry's turn, Harry promised the same. They put rings on each other's fingers, and after his mum declared that they were now lawfully wedded, Louis kissed Harry in front of everybody, thrilled they belonged to each other forever more.

Hand in hand, then, they walked back past their applauding family and friends, ready to start this new chapter of their lives.

* * *

Their reception was a lovely event. Harry's best man, Niall, gave a rousing speech, and Louis' eldest sister, Lottie, also gave a speech that evoked both laughter and tears. Harry and Louis shared not just their first dance as a married couple, but first dance altogether in front of everyone. Everyone ate a sumptuous dinner before Harry and Louis cut the custom-made vanilla and strawberry cake.

After the cake had been served, Harry and Louis bid their guests goodbye, changed into more comfortable clothes, and got in their car. They were heading for the airport and the chartered flight which would take them to their honeymoon.

" _Now_ will you tell me where we're going?" Harry pleaded as they settled back for the ride.

"No. Not yet, husband," Louis answered with a cheeky smile.

"I like the sound of that," Harry confessed. "Husband."

"I like it, too."

Harry returned to the subject of their trip. "You're lucky I didn't examine my dresser drawers to see what you asked Liam to pack."

"That would have ruined the surprise," Louis pointed out. "Thank you for not spoiling yourself."

The trip to the airport was not long, and they were shown through a part of the terminal that was secure to avoid prying eyes. Their plane was fuelled and ready to go, and the engines started to rev as Harry and Louis sat in the plush seats and buckled up.

" _Now_ will you tell me where we're going?" Harry asked again. "Husband?"

"Nope," Louis replied, popping his "p". "But settle in. It’s a long journey. You're safe to go to sleep."

Harry sighed, but he took Louis at his word, falling asleep shortly after they took off and sleeping though the night, only waking up when Louis shook him.

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey," Louis chanted.

Harry rubbed his eyes and opened them to take in Louis' grinning face. "Is it morning?"

"It is," Louis confirmed. "And we're almost there. Time for a little breakfast before we land."

They were treated to some fresh croissants and tea, then it was time for the plane to make its descent.

Harry watched intently as the plane began to drop through the clouds. The closer they got to the ground, the easier it was to tell that they were going to an island. An island with water an incredible blue. He turned to Louis, smiling widely. "We're going to an island?"

Louis' smile was just as big when he announced, "Welcome to the British Virgin Islands!"

"Really?" Harry inquired, extremely excited by the prospect of someplace warm and sunny.

"Really. It's part of the commonwealth. We'll have someplace private right on the beach. I thought it would be the perfect place to go," Louis explained.

Harry grabbed Louis' face and planted a quick kiss to his lips. "It sounds amazing."

When the plane landed, they climbed down the ladder onto the hot tarmac where a car was waiting to haul them and their luggage about twenty minutes down a few winding roads to a lovely white villa. As they climbed out of the car, Harry could easily make out the beach right behind the villa.

The driver helped them get their bags into the villa, then he gave them his number and left them alone to explore.

The villa was a two-storey abode with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room, a large kitchen, and a set of French doors which opened up to a patio with a table and chairs and a path that led directly to the beach.

Harry spun in a circle in the middle of the plush area rug in the living room. "This is amazing."

"It really is," Louis agreed. "Shall we change and head right out to the beach? Make the most of our private little spot?"

"That sounds great."

Harry and Louis spent the rest of the day enjoying the beach, leaving only to make a quick lunch from the food that had been left in the kitchen for them. That night, after a sumptuous dinner at a local eatery, they tested just how comfortable the bed in the master bedroom was for making love. They fell asleep in each other's arms. Harry could not have imagined a more perfect first day of wedded life.

The sun awoke Harry the next morning as it streamed in through the open window. The white curtains billowed gently in the breeze coming in from outside. Louis' arms were still around him, and Harry took a long moment to simply enjoy his life. He could not possibly have been more happy.

Yet he knew that in less than six months--when they added a son or a daughter to their little family--he would be even happier. Almost involuntarily, his hand moved down to his stomach. When it did, he smiled and whispered, "Louis!"

When Louis didn't budge, Harry tried his name a little louder. This time, Louis stirred. "Mmmm. Is it morning already?"

"It is," Harry answered. "But that's not why I woke you up?"

"It's not?" Louis said groggily.

"No." He reached for Louis' hand and put it on his stomach. "Feel."

It only took a few seconds for Louis to understand. "Is that…?"

"My stomach popped," Harry confirmed. 

"It's really happening," Louis whispered. "We're having a baby."

"We are." Harry put his hand over Louis'. "A baby that will be part you and part me."

Louis gazed deeply into Harry's eyes--and if Harry didn't miss his guess, there were tears in the corners of Louis' eyes as Louis declared, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Their honeymoon was amazing. For a week, Harry and Louis did nothing but relax on the beach, explore the nearby sights, and eat at some wonderful restaurants. When their time was up, it was hard to pack up and leave the beautiful islands.

It was time to get back to real life, though. That meant two important tasks. The first was getting Harry moved into the cottage, and the second was working up to announcing their marriage and impeding parenthood to the public.

Getting Harry moved into the cottage was relatively easy. Harry packed up the things he wanted to take to Louis', then the rest was moved to a storage area so his flat could be leased to someone new.

Planning for an announcement was a little more complicated than a quick move across town. The announcement needed to be carefully scheduled and scripted. To accomplish this, Harry and Louis met with Louis' mum and her public relations people. The PR people were completely up to speed on Louis and Harry's marriage and Harry's pregnancy. They had come up with clear ideas for how Harry and Louis could proceed, and they were ready to present these ideas for consideration.

In charge of the palace PR was a man called Max Morgan. He had a PowerPoint presentation he displayed on a screen at the end of the room. Copies were set in front of everyone present. Harry was very impressed by the professionalism and the depth of detail. Then again, he suspected nothing less was expected of people working for the Queen.

"We have an outline here for a plan that would cover the next two months and would conclude with a televised interview," Max explained the overarching scope of the plan.

"Sounds good," Louis said, reaching under the table to squeeze Harry's knee supportively.

"All right then," Max went on. "We're going to start with some seeding."

"Seeding?" Harry questioned the unfamiliar term.

"Where we take information we want the public to know and hint at it in places like social media, news or entertainment shows, or newspapers or magazines," Max explained in a kind tone, no doubt understanding that Harry was new to all of this.

Harry nodded. "That makes sense."

"Which thing are we seeding?" Louis wanted to know.

"The idea that you're gay," Max answered.

"That won't be difficult to sell," Harry commented, smirking at Louis. "Many, many people already suspect that Louis is gay."

Max nodded his agreement. "That's what we think, too, but it won't hurt to get some more hints out there."

"What then?" Louis asked.

"Well, we do that for two to three weeks, then if it's going well, we'll move on to Phase Two." Max turned to one of his colleagues, a woman called Delia. "Would you like to go over Phase Two?"

"Sure." Delia stood as Max took a seat. "Phase Two involves you two being photographed when you're out and about. Then those photos will be 'leaked' to social media and the newspapers, and hopefully the speculation will ramp up."

"Of course, we will try to get photos that hide your bump, since that news is for last," Max interjected. "This is where people will start to figure out who you are, Harry."

This was what Harry had figured was coming. He knew there would be a point where he would no longer be anonymous. There were people online who deserved jobs at MI-6. Once photos of Harry were out there, it would not take much time at all before his identity was out there. From that point forward, he would be going through his pregnancy with a sizeable audience.

"You okay, Harry?" Louis checked, his brow furrowed.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "I guess it's just going to be difficult to get used to being recognised."

"Don't forget I'll be with you every step of the way," Louis told him.

"Louis's an expert after all," the Queen pointed out with a soft smile.

It was still so new to be sitting in on a meeting at which the Queen was present. Harry very nearly pinched himself.

"Is there a Phase Three?" Louis pressed on.

"After two to three more weeks, yes," Delia answered. "That's when we'll do a statement that you are indeed gay and that you and Harry are seeing each other."

"But no mention of the marriage or the baby yet," Max added.

"That's in Phase Four," Louis guessed.

"Yes. The interview," Max said. He looked up to the slide in his presentation. "We'll book it with someone renowned, someone we can trust. We'll interview the prince alone, then he'll introduce you, Harry. You'll come in and talk about how you met and the fact that you are, in fact, married. You'll talk about the wedding, then at the very end, you and the prince will announce you're expecting."

"Once we see how that goes," Delia explained, "we can either ride a wave of positive press or we can manage any negative press."

"By then, we'll hopefully have information about the rules of succession," the Queen jumped in again. "That can be released around the time of the interview so we can assure the public that the family will go on with Louis' child. With any luck, that will appease the majority of the public."

"So, that's it?" Louis inquired.

"We may have to tweak it, depending on what's being reported and what's being said in social media," Max responded, "but yes, that's what we've come up with."

"What do you think, Harry?" Louis turned to gaze at Harry.

Harry shrugged. "It sounds fine. There will be a lot for me to get used to, but if it all goes as planned, then that should be easy. What do you think?"

Louis nodded decisively. "I think it sounds good."

"So, we should put it in motion?" Max confirmed, looking to the Queen.

"If Louis and Harry agree to it, then by all means," the Queen allowed.

Max shifted his gaze to Louis and Harry. "So…yes?"

"Yes," they replied simultaneously.

Max beamed. "Then we'll put the plan in motion."

As the Queen headed off for her next appointment and Max and Delia cleaned up from their presentation, Louis only had eyes for Harry. "You okay? You ready for this?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be. I'm nervous, of course, but they sound like they know what they're doing."

"They do," Louis assured them. "By the time this baby is born, the public will be behind us."

Harry certainly hoped Louis was correct. Or it would be a very long pregnancy indeed.

* * *

As did everyone else of his age group, Louis paid a lot of attention to social media. He wasn't allowed to have official accounts, but he did have stealth ones on the biggies: Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook. He was easily able to follow the seeding the PR department of the Royal machine put out there.

There were tweets questioning Louis' sexuality, posts to Tumblr and Instagram with evidence that Louis was gay, and discussions on Facebook of the implications of Louis possibly being gay. The seeding was under way.

Thankfully, much of the response was positive. There were some people, of course, who were horrified by the thought that Louis might not be straight, but overall, the majority seemed to have a "Who cares?" mentality. This was good news for Louis and Harry.

While all this was going on, Louis and Harry were photographed at various locations around town. The cinema, the theatre, Harry's charity, a number of restaurants, and shopping on Oxford Street. Once a few weeks of seeding had passed, the photographs were doled out to media sites which were happy to post them. Immediately, the internet began to wonder who the curly headed brunet at Louis' side was.

By the time Harry was beginning to show in earnest--he was approaching Week Twenty--crack internet sleuths had discovered who Harry was. It helped that Louis was already connected to Treat People With Kindness. Harry started to keep as low a public profile as he could so as not to be busted for being pregnant before the designated time.

Phase Three was just about to be underway when Harry had his Week Twenty scan. It was the one in which the doctor would be able to tell the baby's gender. Louis had agreed with Harry that they would find out what they were expecting, but wouldn't share the news with anybody outside their inner circle. Louis' mother, in particular, would want to know.

Louis had been to all the scans Harry had had since he'd told Louis he was pregnant. They'd gotten to hear the baby's heartbeat and they'd seen a 3D rendering of the baby's face. Finding out whether they were having a boy or a girl, though…. _That_ was an amazing moment.

The doctor Harry had chosen, Amanda Chandler, was both incredibly knowledgeable and incredibly discreet. She was also quite chuffed at the idea of helping bring a baby into the world who, if everything worked out, would be a future monarch.

At the start of the Week Twenty appointment, Dr. Chandler took Harry's vitals and asked him how everything was going. Since everything seemed totally normal, it was time for the big event--the scan.

Harry's belly had blossomed quite a bit in the last few weeks. It was just as well the photograph part of The Plan was done, as there was almost no hiding the bump now. Louis loved caressing Harry's swollen stomach and whispering to the baby inside. He was so excited that in just a few moments, he would know if he was bonding with his son or his daughter.

Dr. Chandler squeezed some gel onto Harry's bump, then began to move her wand around to find a good view of the baby. Harry and Louis watched intently on the monitor. Now that they'd done this a few times, they were actually able to make out the distinct parts of their baby's body.

"Well, gentlemen," the doctor began, a smile on her face. "Your little one is being very cooperative today. Are you ready to find out whether it's a future King or future Queen?"

Louis and Harry both nodded vigorously.

"Congratulations, gentlemen. It's a girl!"

Harry looked immediately to Louis for his reaction. Louis was happy to oblige. He fairly beamed. Once Louis grinned, Harry did, too.

"A princess," Louis said, still smiling widely. "That's amazing."

"You're all right with a daughter instead of a son?" Harry checked.

"Absolutely," Louis assured him. "One hundred percent sure. Remember how many sisters I have…. I could never be disappointed with a baby girl."

"She'll still be able to follow you in the line of succession, right?" Harry asked.

Louis nodded. "They changed that rule a couple years ago."

Harry sighed with relief.

The doctor cleared her throat, and Harry and Louis sheepishly turned their attention back to her. "Sorry," Harry added.

"No, no." She held up her hand to halt him. "You have nothing to apologise for. But I can give you a little more of an update here."

"Fantastic," Louis said, shooting her a smile.

"Your little girl looks like she's doing great," Dr. Chandler reported. "She's about the size of banana right now."

"Your favourite!" Louis commented to Harry's obvious amusement.

Harry shrugged for the doctor. "Bananas are good."

"Indeed," she agreed. "Everything looks good. She looks to be a good weight and good length, and her heartbeat is strong."

"Is there anything special we need to do to keep Harry and the baby on track?" Louis wanted to know.

The doctor looked to Harry. "Just eat healthy, take your prenatal vitamins, and get plenty of rest and exercise."

"I can do all that," Harry told her as she lifted the wand from his belly and handed him a cloth to clean up with.

"When will we be able to feel her kick?" Louis posed another question.

"Just about any time now. There's a wide range of time when you might start to feel the baby move. Any time from Week Sixteen to Week Twenty-Five. Harry will feel her first, then you not long after."

"Excellent. Thanks," Louis said, past anxious for the baby to make herself even more known than just as a bump.

"Congratulations on getting to the halfway point of your pregnancy," the doctor went on. "Don't hesitate to call with any other questions or concerns you may have. Remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question."

Harry and Louis both nodded. Harry pulled his shirt down and jumped off the exam table.

"Make an appointment for a month from now on your way out," Dr. Chandler requested.

"Thanks," Harry said.

She showed them out of the exam room and down to the private entrance, shaking each of their hands before they left. "Take care," she wished them as they stepped onto the lift.

There was silence between them for a brief while, but then Harry had a query. "Are you sure there's not any pressure for it to be a boy?"

"Not a bit," Louis insisted. "Even if there was, the gender is up to my part of the genetic equation. No reason to worry."

Harry smiled softly. "We're going to have a little princess."

Louis grabbed Harry's hand, squeezing it gently. "We are."

"I can't wait to meet her," Harry continued, a wistful look in his eye.

"Me, neither."

As they climbed into the back seat of their car, Harry continued, "I can't believe she'll be a future Queen. My daughter, the future Queen."

"We'll raise her to be the best Queen she can be. Humble, smart, and energetic." Louis had been brought up to be all those things, so he was confident when it was his turn to rule--many, many years from then, since his mother was going to be around decades more--he would do so with grace. He wanted the same for his baby girl.

"Just like you," Harry noted, unconsciously echoing Louis' thoughts.

Louis grinned. "Thanks."

Harry placed his hands on his stomach. "A baby girl."

Louis put a hand over Harry's. "Our baby girl. A little bit you, and a little bit me. She's going to be surrounded by so many people who love her."

Harry smiled widely at Louis' assertion, and he agreed, "As well she should."

"As well she should."

* * *

On the morning that the Palace's statement that Louis identified as gay was meant to come out, Harry woke early. Although the rumour mill had resulted in a largely positive reaction to the idea that Louis might be gay, this would be the real thing, and it was hard not to worry that the public would turn on Louis and be unwilling to accept the idea of a future king who was gay.

Harry was approaching five and a half months of pregnancy. He was feeling pretty good, and though he was having to be careful in how he dressed to avoid being caught out, he was enjoying the experience of growing a baby. His bump was a little bigger every day, however, and he knew there would soon be no hiding it.

As had become his habit in the morning--while Louis was still asleep--Harry put his hands on either side of his belly and whispered to the baby.

"Good morning, peanut," Harry greeted her. "How are you today?"

Harry was used to not getting any response. On this morning, though, he felt a little nudge under his right hand. He held his breath for a moment to see if it would happen again. When he felt nothing right away, he softly asked, "Is that you, baby girl? Trying to say hello?"

This time, there was a very definite nudge. Enough of one, in fact, that he raised his voice to say, "Louis! Wake up!"

Louis stirred instantly. With a rasp, he offered a simple, "Morning, my love."

Harry reached for Louis' right hand and placed it directly over the spot where he'd felt the baby. "Say something to her," he urged.

After levering himself up just a little, Louis did as Harry suggested. "Hello, princess. How are you this morning?"

Just as she had done when Harry had spoken to her, when Louis spoke, the baby kicked. Louis beamed widely over at Harry. "Was that her?"

"That was her."

"That's amazing," Louis declared, unable to keep his smile from widening.

"I'm so happy you can feel it, too," Harry told him, his smile just as big as Louis'.

"It must be a sign of good luck," Louis decided.

"For the press release, you mean?"

Louis nodded.

"I hope it is," Harry returned.

And as it happened, it was. Their baby girl must have been alerting them that it was indeed going to be a good day. When the press release was posted on the official royal website, it was picked up immediately by every news source imaginable. And though there were a few dissenters, a few people who were not sure about a gay future king, for the most part, the news was well-received. The seeding and the photographs had done their job, getting the public ready. It was time for Phase Four.

* * *

Harry sat in the "green room" (it was really a light blue) while Louis was on stage giving his solo interview. There was a monitor hanging in the corner for Harry to watch, which he was intently doing. He'd made sure to get his custom-made paternity suit on and his makeup done well before Louis went live with Pippa Caldwell, a seasoned news reporter.

The entire team behind the whole plan to introduce Louis and Harry to the world had decided they wanted someone who was known for hard core news to do the interview and to stay away from some of the famous entertainment reporters. This was not frivolous news; it was real news. No one wanted to risk Louis not being taken seriously.

Louis looked amazing on the screen. He was sat on a white stool at a black table opposite Pippa. This set-up was designed to hide Harry's belly when they brought him out. Louis wore a charcoal grey suit that later would complement Harry's black suit. He had gotten his hair done and beard trimmed. He resembled a Disney prince, and Harry knew he was incredibly lucky.

The interview was not airing live. The team wanted the option to edit, if needed, though hopefully it wouldn't come to that. Everyone involved had sat down together over the last few days, going over questions and doing practice interviews. Both Harry and Louis felt well-prepared.

When the interview aired, it would be preceded by a short piece reminding the nation (and the world at large) just who Louis was, including all his work with charity and how determined he was to be a modern king when it was his turn to take the throne. After the piece was done, the interview with Pippa would commence.

Pippa began with a welcome, "Louis, thank you so much for sitting down with me today."

Louis smiled widely. "You're welcome."

"It's been quite a busy few months for you," Pippa noted. "Though this is the first time you've spoken publicly about all the rumours and, recently, the statement released by the Palace on your behalf."

Louis nodded. "I wanted to come on to set the record straight and to let the country know who I am and what they can expect in the future."

Harry had to smile at Louis' choice of words.

"Let's start with the statement that was released," Pippa suggested. "In it, you announced that you identify as gay."

"That's correct," Louis responded, keeping his tone nice and even, just as he always did in this kind of setting; he'd been trained very well.

"Can you tell us more about that?" Pippa implored. "For example, when did you know?

"I started to get an inkling around the time I was twelve or thirteen," Louis told her. "All my friends were thinking about and talking about girls, and I knew I was meant to be thinking about girls, too. But I wasn't. I was busy thinking about boys. First famous ones--you know, footballers and film stars--then, as I got older, boys I was in school with."

"It must have been very difficult, knowing that you're next in line for the throne," Pippa assumed.

"It was," Louis agreed. "I didn't tell anyone about it. I dated girls, since that was what I was supposed to be doing. That didn't feel right, though. I wasn't attracted to any of them, and it felt so much like lying."

"I can't even imagine," Pippa said.

"At university, I did date a few men. They were all sworn to secrecy. They know who they are, though, and I'd like to thank them for their discretion," Louis put out there.

"Once you'd finished university, it must have been expected that you would get married and start having heirs with a woman," Pippa pushed the story further along.

With a nod, Louis continued, "That was the expectation in the wider royal circle. My mother, however, didn't push. She told me to take my time, to find something that felt right."

"Do you think she knew you were gay?" Pippa wondered aloud.

Louis gave a nod. "I think she did, though we didn't talk about it."

"Was it easier meeting people once you weren't at university?" Pippa asked next.

"Sometimes," Louis answered. "I always had to be very careful. I figured it was only a matter of time before someone cared more about getting famous for outing me to the tabloids than about helping keep my secret."

"Which brings us to this young man." A picture of Harry would show on the screen at this point in the proceedings. "Harry Styles."

The smile on Louis' face was soft and fond as a photo of Harry posing behind the counter of the Clothing Closet was broadcast on a nearby monitor. Harry had approved the use of this particular photo for this particular moment. It had been taken by Niall right after he'd met Louis.

Pippa inquired, "So, the tabloids have all been buzzing, sure that you're dating Mr. Styles. Are they correct?"

"They are," Louis confirmed. 

Pippa beamed--as would any reporter who had gotten a scoop about a top royal. "How did you meet?"

"Harry runs a charity called Treat People With Kindness. I read about this charity on line, and I wanted to get involved, because it sounded marvellous," Louis explained. "I went over to their storefront to meet with the staff and learn more about the work they're doing, and that's where I met Harry. We had an instant connection."

"Wonderful," Pippa said. "So, how long have you been seeing each other?"

"A little more than six months."

Pippa looked at him intently. "And you think he's The One?"

"I don't think it," Louis countered. "I know it."

Shifting her gaze from Louis to the camera, Pippa stated, "We knew the public would be interested in hearing Harry's side of the story, so we've invited him out here to share that story. He'll be out in just a minute." She turned back to Louis. "Before he does, however, what can we expect?"

Harry didn't get to hear all of how Louis described him, since a PA came to escort him backstage. It wasn't a long walk to the doorway between backstage and the set, so Harry just about had time to straighten his suit as they walked.

By the time he was in position to join Louis and Pippa, Louis was concluding his description. "…the kindest person I have ever met."

"Well, we absolutely can't wait to meet him. When we get back from the break, we'll see how he describes you." Pippa looked back into the camera. "We'll be right back with Prince Louis and Mr. Harry Styles."

The director counted the camera out, and Harry was invited onto the set to take the stool right next to Louis. After some camera and light readjustments, the director called action, and it was time for the public to meet Harry.

Pippa began the new segment with an introduction in the direction of the camera. "A warm welcome to Harry Styles, who has joined us to share his side of this royal love story." She turned to Harry, then. "How are you doing, Harry?"

"I'm good, thanks," he told her, trying hard not to imagine the millions of people who would be watching this interview. "Though I'm also a little nervous, if I'm honest."

"That's understandable," Pippa assured him. "I'll do my best to take it easy on you."

Harry grinned, his dimples popping. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"Louis told us about how you met when he came to visit your charity. Tell us more about your work, and then what it was like to have a prince stop by for a visit," Pippa requested.

"Sure." Harry took a sip of the cup of water that had been set out for him, then cleared his throat. "My best friend Niall and I started a charity called Treat People With Kindness. I truly believe that we would all be better off and better people if we were all just kind to each other."

Pippa nodded encouragingly, so he continued, "We started out buying groceries for people. We'd just pick random people to get behind in line at the supermarket, and we'd offer to pay for their groceries. It was just an amazing feeling, so we kept doing it. Niall suggested we give a name to what we were doing and put all the information online. We started getting small monetary donations, then eventually we got the idea to start a food bank and then an area where clothes could be donated, then given to those in need."

"That sounds wonderful," Pippa interjected.

"It's been extremely rewarding," Harry said.

"So, where does Louis come into all this?" Pippa asked.

"His assistant called and we spoke for a bit, then I sent over a lot of information about what we do, then his assistant called back and said Louis wanted to come in and see everything for himself," Harry explained.

"What did you think when you first met him?" Pippa wanted to know next.

Harry looked over to Louis with a fond smile. "I thought he was amazing. It was bizarre at first, since, of course, I've known who he was all my life, but he soon put me at ease."

Pippa offered her own fond smile. "So, how did you two end up as more than friends?"

"Well, after Louis visited Kindness, he wanted to do more, so we met up again, and we just clicked." Harry shrugged lightly. "It was just one of those things, you know. It felt right."

"Before you came to join us, I asked Louis to describe you," Pippa said. "How would you describe Louis?"

Harry smiled fondly at Louis once more. "He's amazing. He's kind and generous, and he's a great person to just, like, sit and kind of, like, just admire what he's like." It wasn't eloquent, but it was the best he could do.

"Aww," Pippa cooed, and Harry guessed it didn't matter that he sounded like a lovesick teenager. She composed herself to take both of them into her gaze. "So, what's next for you two?"

Butterflies sprang to life in Harry's stomach at this juncture. The next few minutes--in which Louis and Harry announced their marriage and the baby to the world--would decide how the public viewed them; it was incredibly nerve-wracking.

Fortunately, as had already been decided, Louis stepped in to field this question. "As it happens, there's a lot on that front. First of all, I know this goes against usual royal protocol, but Harry and I actually got married just about three months ago in a private ceremony."

Pippa raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had been prepped for much of what Harry and Louis were going to say, but not this part--and not for the baby part, either. All she knew was that they had important news to share "Well, that is a surprise. What made you take that route, as opposed to a big, public wedding?"

"As you know, gay marriage hasn't been legal for all that long, relatively speaking," Louis said. "And, as you also know, gay marriage has never been very accepted in the monarchy. We decided that we didn't want a political spectacle. We just wanted a ceremony with family and friends."

"That makes sense," Pippa acknowledged before adding a query. "Now, what are the legalities regarding your marriage and the fact that you're next in line for the throne?"

Louis nodded. Finally, the question that was bound to be in everyone's head at this point. "My mother, the Queen, has been working with the Prime Minister and Parliament to work that out. First, our marriage is legal, recognised by both the monarchy and the law."

"That's a good start," Pippa responded.

"It is," Louis agreed. "Second, of course, was the matter of any children we might have. As it turns out, Harry is a carrier, so biological children were something that needed to be taken into consideration when we decided to get married."

"The law is that heirs need to be born of a woman, is that correct?" Pippa inquired astutely.

"It is," Louis confirmed. "That's what my mother and the Prime Minister are working on. It's coming together nicely, and by the time we have our first child, he or she will likely be recognised as following me in the line of succession."

Pippa grinned. "That's such good news."

"It really is," Louis concurred. "Especially since Harry and I have one more announcement to make."

"There's more?" Pippa appeared genuinely surprised yet again.

Harry and Louis both nodded. The butterflies sped up in Harry's stomach. It was the second moment of truth. Louis turned to look at Harry. They had agreed that Louis would handle the news of their marriage, while Harry would disclose that he was pregnant. They needed to present themselves as equals, and sharing in delivering their big news would go a long way in establishing that. Louis shot him a little smile that Harry read as confidence that Harry could do this.

Harry smiled back at Louis, then pulled in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "There is more," he stated, turning to meet Pippa's gaze. "As it happens, I'm expecting. Louis and I will become parents in three months' time. The baby is due just after the New Year."

Pippa gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth as her gaze immediately flew to Harry's middle. Harry grinned and stood. He put a hand down to caress his belly, and he angled his body so the camera could pick up the bump. After the camera had gotten a good shot of his growing middle, Harry sat back down. He told Pippa, "We're truly very excited to become fathers."

Pippa seemed to have recovered from her initial shock. "Congratulations!" she wished them. "Do you know yet whether it’s a boy or a girl?"

Louis took this one. "We do, but we're keeping that information confidential until the baby is born." The only people who knew they were expecting a girl were their immediate family, all of whom had promised to help keep it a secret.

"Spoilsport," Pippa teased, grinning.

Grinning back at her, Louis shrugged. "A surprise every now and then does a person good."

"Well, you've certainly given us enough to talk about to last a very long time," Pippa noted. "Please know that we wish you both all the best. I'm pretty sure I speak for the nation when I welcome you, Harry, to the royal family. And I'm pretty sure I speak for the whole nation when I say we can't wait to meet your son or daughter."

"Thank you," Harry and Louis chorused.

"Thank you for sitting down with us and giving us all the exclusives," Pippa concluded, reaching across the table to shake first Louis' hand, then Harry's.

"It was our pleasure," Louis returned.

After a brief pause, the director yelled, "Cut!"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's all over," Louis assured him. "You did an amazing job."

"You did, too," Harry said.

"You both did," Pippa threw in. "Thanks again. That was amazing. I can't wait for this to air. I really think the nation--the world, even--is going to go wild for all of this. You're going to have a lot of support, and that baby is going to be beloved by millions."

Harry prayed she was right. He had found the love of his life, and they were going to have a child together. Having the support and love of Louis' people on top of all that would be the icing on the cake.

When the interview aired the following day, Harry's prayers were answered. There was, as ever, a small faction of the population who seethed at the thought of a gay crown prince and his pregnant male spouse. In general, though, the majority of the public seemed thrilled and excited, posting tweets wishing the couple and their baby all the best.

All that was left of the plan was for Harry to deliver a happy and healthy baby. Harry was determined that he would do nothing less.

* * *

The next two months were like a whirlwind. Louis spent some of that time teaching Harry the ropes and some of that time getting all of his commitments handled so that once the baby came, he would be available as much as possible.

Certainly, the royal family had a history of having nannies who, essentially, raised the babies. His mother, however, hadn't done that. She--and Louis' father before he passed away--had been very present. Louis and his sisters had known that their parents were there for them, and Louis intended to be the same for his daughter.

Harry's pregnancy was proving to be fairly easy and quite textbook. As he got to the end of his seventh month, though, he had grown big enough that it was getting uncomfortable to be on his feet for long periods of time. Thankfully, Harry had given up his job at the bakery when they'd gotten married. He had insisted, though, on staying on with the charity. Louis insisted on Harry not overdoing it, which Harry tried hard to honour.

Louis was called to a meeting with his mum the morning that Harry was officially eight months pregnant. He left Harry sat on the sofa in what Louis referred to as The TV Room. He was flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch when Louis kissed him on the temple and told him he'd be home soon.

The meeting was not long, but it left Louis with a bounce in his step as he went home to Harry, knowing Harry would be as thrilled with the outcome of the meeting as Louis was.

He found Harry snuggled in a fleecy throw blanket, passed out on the sofa, a romantic comedy playing on the television. It was adorable enough that Louis took a picture on his mobile before gently shaking his husband awake, gently whispering, "Harry. Love? Wake up."

Slowly, Harry blinked his eyes open, gazing up at Louis sleepily. A moment later, he managed to get himself up into a seated position, and Louis sat down right next to him, turning so they would be face to face.

"How was the meeting?" Harry wanted to know.

"Well, I'm glad you asked." Louis grinned widely, then reached a hand out to rub Harry's belly. "When this one arrives, she will officially be second in line to the throne."

The smile which bloomed on Harry's face rivalled Louis' in brightness. "Really?"

"It passed unanimously. They're releasing a statement tomorrow," Louis reported.

Harry heaved a sigh of relief, almost as if he'd avoided a catastrophe.

Recognising the gesture, Louis frowned. "What was that for?"

Harry shook his head--an attempt to brush Louis off. "It's nothing."

"No, it's not." Softly, Louis implored, "Tell me."

After a momentary pause, Harry admitted, "I guess I was just worried that I would mess up your chance to have an heir."

"Harry!" Louis was horrified. "There are so many things wrong with that, I don't even know where to start."

Tears formed in the corners of Harry's eyes. He swiped them away with the back of his hands. "I'm sorry. Can I blame it on the hormones?"

Louis chuckled. "Of course you can. But you can't blame yourself for anything that may or may not have happened." He met Harry's gaze before he continued. "First of all, I was there, too. We got you pregnant together. Second of all, before I met you, I was completely dreading having to be with a woman if I wanted an heir. That's not what I wanted to do. Third, even if we hadn’t been able to work things out to be married and for her to be the heir, I'd still be happy. I love you, and I already love her. That's all that matters."

This time, the tears escaped Harry's eyes and coursed down his cheeks. He was smiling, though. "Not hormones this time," he said, laughing. "I'm happy, too. I love you, and I can't wait for us to be a little family of three."

Louis reached out to wrap Harry in a hug. "I can't wait, either," he whispered in Harry's ear. "And it won't be too long now."

* * *

They made it through the whole of the holiday season without a whisper of the baby coming early, even if Harry's doctor did say--the week before Christmas--that the baby could arrive any day.

Harry was welcomed with joy into the royal family's holiday traditions--including Louis' birthday on Christmas Eve--and Louis got to enjoy the smaller scale of holiday celebrations with Harry's family. It was lovely getting to spend time together, getting to know their respective in-laws. And despite not even being born yet, the baby got her share of gifts.

In addition to the baby getting gifts, Louis hired a designer to come and work on the room they'd designated for the nursery. Harry was thrilled to be given carte blanche to decorate with the colours and scheme he wanted. They ended up with a lovely room painted a pale lavender and filled with white furniture. It would be a beautiful place for a baby princess to sleep. All they needed now was the baby princess.

They spent New Year's Eve with Louis' siblings. Harry was feeling the effects of being heavily pregnant, so a low-key evening was just the ticket. New Year's Day was a quiet affair. They had breakfast with the Queen, and lunch with Harry's mum and sister. His mum had decided to stay with Gemma there in London, wanting to be close by when Harry gave birth.

It was just past midnight on the second of January when Harry was awoken by sharp pains in his middle. He'd experienced a few episodes of Braxton Hicks contractions--the doctor had called these false labour, or practise contractions, but these pains were different. They were more intense and much more consistent. He timed them with his mobile as ten minutes apart. At two a.m., he flicked on the light and woke Louis.

"She's coming," Harry announced, holding his belly.

Coming to consciousness slowly, Louis wanted to know, "Are you sure?"

Harry nodded. "I don't think we need to go to hospital just yet, but within the next few hours."

"It's all about you, love," Louis said, pressing a hand to Harry's stomach. "And her, of course."

Harry was able to catnap for a couple more hours, while Louis caught a few hours of deeper rest. It was not quite five o'clock in the morning when Harry woke Louis again.

This time, Louis awoke much more quickly. "Is it time?"

"The contractions are about six minutes apart," Harry reported. "I'd feel better if we went to hospital."

"Then that's what we'll do," Louis said, already slipping out of bed and pulling on some trackies and a warm sweatshirt.

Harry got out of bed somewhat more slowly. As if reinforcing that heading to hospital was the right thing, as soon as Harry stepped onto the floor, his waters broke.

"Ugh," Harry said at the mess on Louis' fine area rug.

"We have cleaners for that," Louis reminded him. "No worries."

Harry set the worry aside and allowed Louis to help him into an outfit similar to his own, although the trackies were the pregnancy ones Harry had been living in for the past month or so.

Once they were both dressed, Louis called for his driver, not wanting to be the one responsible for getting them safely to hospital. Fortunately, his driver, knowing he was on call for whenever Harry went into labour, promised to be there in less than fifteen minutes.

Given that it was the beginning of January, Harry and Louis bundled up for their journey in hats, scarves, gloves, and heavy jackets. They were ready when the driver pulled up in front of Louis' cottage.

The drive to hospital was not a long one, though Harry didn't register much of it, since he was more focused on the searing pain of the contractions that were coming every five minutes now.

When they got to hospital, Harry was installed in a big, private delivery room. His doctor had been paged, and all the medical personnel present had been carefully vetted. There would be no details escaping about Harry's labour and delivery.

Harry was helped into a gown, then he was settled onto the bed he would later be able to deliver the baby on--if he chose. The room was also outfitted with a birthing pool and a birthing chair, as well as a birthing ball. Whatever Harry chose to use was open to him.

By the time Dr. Chandler arrived, Harry's contractions were down to four minutes apart, and the doctor's examination found Harry about four centimetres dilated.

"You came at just the right time," Dr. Chandler observed. "You're absolutely in active labour, Harry, and I would expect things to move relatively quickly, given the time it's taken you to get to this point."

"Everything looks okay, though?" Louis checked.

The doctor nodded. "Looking good." She shifted her gaze back to Harry. "Do you still want to try this without medication?"

"If I can," Harry replied.

"I see no reason why not," Dr. Chandler told him. "Unless something changes, you should be good to go."

"Good," Harry commented, sighing with happiness.

"The nurses are going to set up a foetal monitor, and I'll be back to check on you in just a little bit," the doctor went on. "Don't hesitate to have the nurses call me if something seems wrong."

"Thanks." Harry had barely gotten the word out when he was beset by another strong contraction. He hissed and closed his eyes to get through it.

"Just breathe and hang in there," Dr. Chandler suggested. "It won't be long before you're holding your baby in your arms."

Once the doctor had exited the room, the nurses followed the doctor's orders and hooked Harry up to a foetal monitor so they could keep a close eye on how the baby was tolerating labour. The first readings looked good, so everything was on track.

Louis called the palace to update them on Harry's progress and Harry's family to let them know the baby was on the way, then the couple settled in to wait until it was time for Harry to bring their little girl into the world.

By late morning, Harry's mum and sister had joined the vigil, as had Louis' sister Lottie. Dr. Chandler shooed everyone but Louis out to find out that Harry was seven centimetres dilated, with contractions just about every three minutes. She was pleased with where he was, and she promised to return a short time later, before allowing the women in their lives back in.

His family did their best to distract Harry from the pain of the intensifying contractions. They discussed everything under the sun, from music to movies to Kindness to trips they'd all taken. Even when Harry was in too much agony to contribute to the conversation, it was soothing to hear his loved ones' voices swirling around him.

By mid-afternoon, Harry wanted nothing more than for the baby inside him to be out. He was completely exhausted, and he hadn't even begun pushing. His mum assured him that once it was time, Harry would absolutely find the energy to push the baby out.

At four-forty-five p.m., when Dr. Chandler came by for her hourly check-up, she was pleased to announce that Harry had reached the magic ten centimetres he needed to be dilated to give birth to his and Louis' baby. After almost seventeen hours of labour, this was the best news Harry had ever heard.

All they had to do to prep Harry was remove the foetal monitor and get him situated with his feet in stirrups. Louis stood to Harry's right, and Harry's mum to Harry's left. Gemma and Lottie stayed back so as not to completely crowd Harry while he worked.

Dr. Chandler positioned herself on a stool at the end of the bed, gloved hands ready to guide the baby out. "Okay, Harry, let's deliver a baby. When the next contraction comes, go ahead and push."

Harry nodded and steeled himself. When the next contraction hit--just a few seconds later--Harry bore down with all his might, doing everything he could to get his baby girl out.

Louis held Harry's hand, not letting go even when Harry squeezed tightly enough to break bones. Harry was incredibly grateful Louis was right there by his side, and when the contraction was over, Harry met Louis' gaze.

"You're doing so great, love," Louis told him with a warm smile.

"You are," Dr. Chandler agreed. "Push just like that with the next contraction."

Harry followed directions, and when another contraction washed over him, he tucked his chin in and pushed as hard as he could.

There wasn't much time to rest between contractions, but Harry tried to take a least a moment in between each one to compose himself for the next.

After about fifteen minutes of intense pushing, Dr. Chandler announced, "She's trying to crown. I want little pushes during the next contraction so I can guide her head out."

"Easy does it," his mother urged as his middle contracted. "Breathe and push gently."

It took a great deal of concentration to keep the pushes small when all his body wanted to do was push as hard as he could to get the baby out. In addition, as her head emerged, he experienced what all the literature he had read called "the ring of fire." He didn't even try to bite back the screams.

After a lot of little pushes and a lot of searing pain, Harry finally felt the baby's head pop out.

"Her head's out!" Dr. Chandler confirmed, her voice filled with excitement.

Louis shifted himself so he could continue to hold Harry's hand, but also see where the baby's head had appeared. "She's almost here, Harry. Just a little bit more, and you'll be holding her."

"Harry, all that's left are her shoulders," the doctor told him. "You can push big for those."

Harry fell back onto the pillows propped behind him for a few seconds, now so far past exhausted that he couldn't even see exhausted anymore. He shook his head. "I can't." He looked up at Louis with eyes that begged for a break.

"You can do it, Harry," Louis encouraged him. "Just a little more and it will all be over."

"We're going to have to think good and hard about whether we need an heir _and_ a spare," Harry stated wryly.

Louis chuckled. "You're the boss."

An incredibly strong contraction took over then, and Harry levered himself up to push as hard as he could. He had to do that three more times before the baby's shoulders broke free and she slid into Dr. Chandler's waiting hands, mewling the minute she felt air. 

"It's a girl!" the doctor proclaimed over the baby's cries. A nurse reached over to run a cursory cloth over the infant before Dr. Chandler lifted the baby through Harry's legs to hand her over to her anxious-to-meet-her father.

Louis helped Harry lower his hospital gown so he could rest their newborn daughter on his bare chest.

To Harry, there was no one in the world other than the tiny girl on his chest and his husband next to them. "Hi, sweetheart," Harry whispered. "We're so happy to meet you." He smiled up at Louis.

"You did such an amazing job, Harry." Louis reached out a finger to gently brush her cheek. "She's beautiful."

"Well, we did make her together," Harry pointed out. He gazed back down into the baby's face. She was calmer now that she was on Harry's chest, and she gazed right back up at Harry. "Our little princess."

"Welcome to the world, my little love," Louis said, unable to stop smiling. "You're going to do great things."

* * *

_2nd January 2018_

_Harry Styles, husband of Prince Louis of Wales, was safely delivered of a daughter at 5:33 pm._

_The baby weighs 7 lbs. 5 oz._

_Prince Louis was present for the birth._

_The Queen, the Princesses Charlotte, Felicité, Phoebe, Daisy, and Doris, and Prince Ernest and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news._

_Mr. Styles and his child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight._

* * *

_4th January 2018_

_Prince Louis of Wales and Harry Styles are delighted to announce that they have named their daughter Alice Victoria Anne._

_The baby will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Alice of Wales. She is second in line for the throne._

End (11 September 2018)


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